Martha was born in 1812 in the town of Zunji, China and later lived with her husband in Qingyan, where they owned a vegetable farm.  Childless, they adopted two nephews.

After her husband died and the two sons left home, she moved to the edge of town to operate a small inn.  When a Catholic missionary visited, she became intrigued by the message of Jesus and converted to Catholicism on Christmas Day.

She moved to Guiyang to be closer to other Christians and worked at the local seminary.

When some anti-religious soldiers arrived at the seminary, they arrested 3 seminarians for being Christian and sentenced them to death.  Martha walked with the condemned to the place of execution.

Despite threats, she continued to support the seminary students and was arrested as well.  Witnesses noted along the way of her execution, ‘all four showed on their faces the peace and joy that rose from courage to die for their Catholic Faith, as they prayed up to the last minute before entering the glory of martyrdom.’  They were beheaded at Tsingai in 1861.

Her feast day is July 29.

For God’s Glory.