About Today - July 9: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs. Optional Memorial.
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
Release Date: 07/09/2026
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Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
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0815-ip.psalm_95.assumption
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
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About Today - July 13 - Saint Henry Optional Memorial
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
July 13 Saint Henry Optional Memorial St. Henry II lived from 972-1024. He was King of Germany and Italy and crowned Holy Roman Emperor, the last in the Ottonian (Saxon) dynasty. His education was steeped in ecclesiastical matters, giving him a compassionate heart for the Church and the common people. He felt a heavy responsibility for the good of the Church, which led him to involve himself in Church appointments in a way that later 11th century reformers would reject. He and his wife Kunegunda were very generous to the poor and to monasteries. He founded a cathedral and monastery in Bamberg....
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About Today - July 9: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs. Optional Memorial.
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
July 9 Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs Optional Memorial Today we honor Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, martyrs of China. In the year 2000, John Paul II canonized these holy men and women who gave their life between 1648 and 1930. Historically, these persecutions began with the invasion of the Fujian region by the Manchu Tartars of Mongolia, continued through the Taiping Rebellion; a civil war accounting for 20-30 million deaths, and culminated in the Boxer Rebellion; the uprising rejecting Western imperialism at the beginning of the 20th century....
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Gathered Together From the Ends of the Earth
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
The Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time · Optional Memorials of St Maria Goretti and St Augustine Zhao Rong & Companions - The Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot · Liturgical Colours: White/Green/Red This week the Hours return constantly to a single image: the Church as one body, gathered from scattered pieces into a single loaf. Saint Clement opens and closes the week pleading against the schism dividing the Corinthians. The Didache prays it directly on Wednesday — bread scattered on the mountains, gathered and made one. Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians, on...
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Office of Readings - August 29, 2026 - ord memorial
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
The Office of Readings for Saturday, August 29, 2026. Liturgical season: Ordinary Time. Rank: memorial.
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Office of Readings - August 28, 2026 - ord memorial
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
The Office of Readings for Friday, August 28, 2026. Liturgical season: Ordinary Time. Rank: memorial.
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Morning Prayer - August 28, 2026 - ord memorial
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
The Morning Prayer for Friday, August 28, 2026. Liturgical season: Ordinary Time. Rank: memorial.
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Evening Prayer II - August 28, 2026 - ord memorial
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
The Evening Prayer II for Friday, August 28, 2026. Liturgical season: Ordinary Time. Rank: memorial.
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Office of Readings - August 27, 2026 - ord memorial
Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church
The Office of Readings for Thursday, August 27, 2026. Liturgical season: Ordinary Time. Rank: memorial.
info_outlineJuly 9
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Optional Memorial
Today we honor Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, martyrs of China. In the year 2000, John Paul II canonized these holy men and women who gave their life between 1648 and 1930. Historically, these persecutions began with the invasion of the Fujian region by the Manchu Tartars of Mongolia, continued through the Taiping Rebellion; a civil war accounting for 20-30 million deaths, and culminated in the Boxer Rebellion; the uprising rejecting Western imperialism at the beginning of the 20th century. The Christians martyred throughout this period include 87 native Chinese and 33 foreign missionaries. Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, the first martyred Chinese priest, had earlier witnessed the persecution of Monsignor Dufresse and became ordained because of it. In these martyrs, we are shown a fervent faith in a people who, “with just pride preserved their Chinese identity and culture.” [1][2][3] Written by Sarah Ciotti [1] Agostino Zhao Rong and 119 Companions, Martyrs in China, Vatican News Services, 2000. [2] John Paul II, Homily, October 1, 2000. [3] “120 Martyrs of China,” Catholic News Agency, 2012. Note: Optional Memorials and Commemorations are optional celebrations and, at present, we do not include content specific to these special days. This "About Today" is provided so that you can celebrate these Saints as you worship Christ.