Peter Wu Guosheng

 One of aims with these Saint posts is to give my handful of faithful readers a better idea of the vast diversity of the Communion of Saints. Our Saint for today fulfills that aim while also having his Feast Day today.

Wu Guosheng was born in 1768 in Longping, China. He was an innkeeper and was known in the community for his sense of justice, his care of the poor and his gregarious nature. When a Catholic layman named Xu stopped at his inn, Mr. Wu got his first introduction to Christianity. Xu convinced Wu to believe in Christ. 

Mr. Wu was not yet baptized, but he was already a very enthusiastic Christian. He began to evangelize the people who came to his inn, insisting that they accept Jesus. Fr. Luo Madi from Sichuan went to visit Wu and felt that the innkeeper's way of forcing the faith on people was wrong. He invited Wu Guosheng to Chongqing to see how other Catholics evangelize. Seeing the model set by others, he deeply regretted his earlier behavior. In 1796, Fr. Luo baptized him with the Christian name of Peter. 

Peter now returned to Longping to evangelize his local community. The Catholic Community in Longping grew to several hundred people. 

In 1814, a new wave of persecution against Christians spread across China. Peter Wu Guosheng was arrested on April 3 of that year. While in prison, he encouraged the other prisoners, reciting Scripture and singing hymns. When the magistrate tried him, he forced him to trample on the cross. Peter refused to apostatize, so he was convicted and sentenced to death. On November 7, 1814, he was tied to a cross and surrendered his life to Christ.

St. Peter Wu Guosheng, pray for us.