Detail of A Portrait of Saint Juan Alcober Figuera By Don Larma Date Unknown

Saint Juan Alcober Figuera

Also known as: John Alcober

Saint

Post-Congregation

Feast Day

28 October 28 September as one of the Martyrs of China 30 December on some calendars ; 28 September as one of the Martyrs of China; 30 December on some calendars

Born

1694 at Gerona, Spain

Died

Strangled to death on 25 October 1748 in Fu-tsheu prison, Fo-kien province, China; even the executioners noted that the faces of the victims looked peaceful and radiant ; even the executioners noted that the faces of the victims looked peaceful and radiant

Canonized

1 October 2000 by Pope John Paul II

Beatified

14 May 1893 by Pope Leo XIII

Biography

The life of Juan Alcober Figuera was defined by a daring commitment to the Gospel that transcended the boundaries of safety and comfort. As a Dominican priest, he did not merely preach from a pulpit but ventured into the heart of a hostile land, embracing a ministry of shadows and sacrifice. His story is one of the most striking examples of missionary zeal during the eighteenth century, where the faith of a small flock was sustained by the courage of a man willing to hide in trees and coffins alike.