OLUS PUEN AND COMPANIONS, SEVENTH CENTURY CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES IN CHINA
Olus Puen, Martomæus, Mardargis, Sarnis-chua and Gabriel, priests, and Adam, deacon, all in China, are said to have worked there around A.D. 636. They restored the service that had been almost completely destroyed. Indeed, through their efforts they brought religion back to such bloom that missionaries went out from there to convert other oriental peoples and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
In 1625, when excavating a foundation, an oblong ancient stone was found, which the local builders sent to the governor of Sin-gan-su because it appeared historically important or valuable.
On this stone was carved, among other things, a brief summary of the Christian faith, then a list of the bishops and other clerics who proclaimed the gospel there, partly in Syriac, partly in Chinese, and also that they wore a shaved crown on their heads [monks], accepted wages from no one but, on the contrary, donated their own money and goods to the poor, and subjected the flesh to the spirit by fasting and vigil. Seven times a day they sung praises to God [the church breviary prayers], and on the seventh day they performed the sacrifice [Holy Mass].
Thereupon the manifold fruits of the soul are told which they won through zealous toil and sermons both among various kings and the faithful of the parishes - healings, blessings of the weather, and innumerable other miracles. (Weissbacher III. 325)
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, p. 619)
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org
Comments
Post a Comment