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Thursday, November 12
Prophet Ahijah the Shilonite
Sinaxarion

Martyr

Jonah

Chinese Orthodox Christian, killed in Beijing in 1900 during the Boxer Rising.

Feast
June 11old style June 24
Reposed
190020th century
Place
Beijing
Order
Martyrs

Life

Jonah was a young man aged 19, adopted son of Alexei Wenheng. He was killed on 11 June 1900 (old style; 24 June in the new), during the Boxer Rising.

Many Orthodox Christians were pressed at that time to renounce their faith in order to save their lives. His name stands in the list of the 222 Orthodox Christians killed in 1900, drawn up in 1904 by the Brotherhood of the Orthodox Church in China, on the testimony of relatives, neighbours and witnesses. The sources give no further details about him.

In 1902 the Holy Synod of the Russian Church allowed the local veneration of the Chinese martyrs, and in 2016 its Council of Bishops blessed their veneration throughout the Russian Church. They are commemorated together on 11 June (old style).

Commemorated the same day June 11