Jean Gabriel Perboyre was born in Montgesty, near Cahors, in southern France, on 6 January 1802 into a family which gave three missionaries of St. Vincent and two Daughters of Charity to the Church.

It was in fact his younger brother who had the call to join the seminary, and Jean was asked to accompany him for some time, till he got accustomed to the surroundings. Thus, Jean’s presence at the seminary happened by chance, but that revealed unexpected spiritual horizons to the young man.

Jean chose the Congregation of the Mission founded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1625 and toiled for the evangelization of the poor, the formation of the clergy, and above all, to push those very missionaries toward holiness. He was a missionary in his own country from 1818 to 1835, and after his priestly ordination in 1826, he was charged with the formation of seminarians.

Following the death of his younger brother Louis during a voyage to China, Jean reached the country in August 1835. He was able to express himself in good Chinese after five months, and at once he threw himself into the ministry, visiting the small Christian communities. Then he was transferred to Hubei. Even though he maintained an intense apostolate, he suffered much in body and spirit.

Two unexpected events clouded the horizon in 1839. The first was the renewed outbreak of persecution which flowed from the decree of the Manchurian emperor, Quinlong, which had proscribed the Christian religion in 1794. The second was the outbreak of the Chinese-British War, better known as the "Opium War" (1839-1842).

On 15 September 1839, a column of about one hundred soldiers arrived at Cha-yuen-ken, where Perboyre lived. That day, he was with two other European missionaries- his confrere Baldus, and a Franciscan, Rizzolati along with a Chinese missionary, Fr. Wang. Baldus and Rizzolati decided to flee far away. Perboyre hid himself in the nearby mountains. The soldiers used threats to force a catechumen to reveal the place where the missionary was hiding, and thus Jean was arrested. Thus began the sad Calvary of Jean Gabriel and a series of trials followed.

The first was held at Kou-Ching-Hien. The replies of Jean to the judge were heroic as he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. They asked him to reveal his companions in the faith and the reasons for which he had transgressed the laws of China. But a witness to Christ is not an informer, and therefore he remained silent.

Jean was then transferred to Siang-Yang. He was held for a number of hours kneeling on rusty iron chains, was hung by his thumbs and hair from a rafter and was beaten several times with bamboo canes.

The third trial was held in Wuchang. They prosecuted the missionary and abused him and obliged the Christians to abjure him. One of them was even forced to spit on and strike the missionary who had brought him to the faith. Jean received 110 strokes for not trampling on the crucifix. Among the various accusations, the most terrible was the accusation that he had had immoral relations with a Chinese girl, Anna Kao, who had made a vow of virginity. During one interrogation, he was obliged to put on Mass vestments. The missionary, clothed in the priestly garments, impressed the bystanders, and two Christians drew near to him to ask for absolution.

When Jean told him for the last time: "I would sooner die than deny my faith!", the judge pronounced his sentence. Jean was to die by strangulation.

The missionary was led up a height called the "Red Mountain” along with seven criminals. As the criminals were killed first, Jean reflected in prayer, to the wonderment of the bystanders. When his turn came, the executioners stripped him of the purple tunic and tied him to a post in the form of a cross. They passed a rope around his neck and strangled him. It was the sixth hour.

Many circumstances surrounding his last year of life (the betrayal, the arrest, the death on a cross, its day and hour), were similar to the Passion of Christ. In reality, all his life was that of a witness and a faithful disciple of Christ.

Jean Gabriel "was born to life" on 11 September 1840, and his body was brought back to France later on. He was canonized on 2 June 1996 by Pope John Paul II.

Other Saints of the Day
1. Our Lady of Coromoto
2. Saint Adelphus of Remiremont
3. Saint Bonaventure of Barcelona
4. Saint Dominic Dillon
5. Saint John Bathe