Biography
Mary Qi Yu
About Mary Qi Yu
Mary Qi Yu, also called Maria Chi Yu or Ji Yu, came from Daji in Wuqiao. Born around 1885, she grew up in the Wangla orphanage with three other girls whose names are preserved beside hers: Lucia Wang Cheng, Maria Fan Kun and Maria Zheng Xu.
The parish account describes their capture when Boxers attacked Wanglajia in June 1900. Taken away and then returned, the girls were killed after refusing to renounce Christianity. This later narrative preserves their shared remembrance, not independently verified dialogue.
Her death is recorded on June 28, 1900. She was beatified in 1955; her individual commemoration is June 28.
The canonization letter lists her among lay martyrs. John Paul II declared her a saint on October 1, 2000.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.