Biography
Raymond Li Quanzhen
About Raymond Li Quanzhen
Raymond Li Quanzhen was a Chinese Catholic layman from Chentuncun in Hebei. Born around 1841, he was the brother of Peter Li Quanhui. Both men were killed during the Boxer violence in 1900.
The Catholic Church in Norway’s account describes Raymond hiding among reeds with his five-year-old daughter when they were discovered on June 30. A Buddhist nun took the child away while Raymond was brought to a temple. The account says that he refused demands to abandon his faith and was killed after being tortured. His brother Peter was also captured and killed that day.
The Chinese Martyrs parish in Markham preserves a similar account, remembering the child’s rescue by a nun and her father’s refusal to give up his religion. Its illustrated entry calls the daughter Delian; the Norwegian account uses Magdalena. The central scene is a family caught in violence, with help for the child coming from outside the Catholic community.
Raymond was canonized with the Chinese martyrs by John Paul II on October 1, 2000.
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