MÜLLENER, JOHANN. — Missionary, born in Bremen (Germany) on 4 October 1673, died in Szechwan on 17 December 1742. He studied in Rome as a student of Propaganda Fide and was ordained a priest in 1696 or 1697. Destined for China, he embarked at Venice with Luigi Antonio Appiani (v.), a missionary of S. Vincenzo (12 May 1796), who received him into the Congregation of the Mission at Madras (25 January 1699). Landing at Canton on 14 October of that same year, he worked in Szechwan. Expelled twice thereafter (1706 and 1707) and exiled to Macao (12 December 1708), then expelled again (8 December 1709), he took refuge in Batavia.
Returning to Canton in 1710, he resumed his journey inland in March 1711, taking with him two young men to educate them for the priesthood. He remained for a long time at Changtebfu, where he founded a flourishing Christian community, but was unable to establish there, as he wished, a seminary, which was later established, at great sacrifice, in Chengtu. In April 1712 he reached Szechwan, of which he was elected apostolic vicar in 1715. At his death, Szechwan had more than 9,000 Christians.