In 1900 in China several thousand Christians, victims of the Boxers’ hatred, bore witness to the Catholic faith by a glorious death. Among them 2,418 were put to death in the Vicariates forming the mission entrusted to the Friars Minor. The cause of their beatification was introduced in 1926. To facilitate the conduct of the cause among these 2,418 martyrs, twenty-nine were chosen: they were, the three bishops, Gregory Grassi, Francis Fogolla and Antoninus Fantosati; five missionaries among whom figured Fr. Joseph Gambaro, and seven nuns, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary; five seminarists from the native clergy and nine of the servants from the mission. Twenty-six were put to death in the Shansi district and three in southern Hunan. They were beatified in November 1946.