Sacconi, Antonio Maria

SACCONI, ANTONIO MARIA. - Friar Minor, apostolic vicar of Shansi and Shensi, in the world Vincenzo, b. at Osimo on 23 March 1741 and d. at Taigun on 3 February 1785.

Ordained priest on 24 February 1764, in 1771 he set out for China, arriving at Macao on 13 August 1772. Assigned to the mission of Shantung, he arrived there on 1 May 1774 after overcoming several difficulties. He immediately devoted himself to the study of the language and in October 1775 was able to begin his apostolate, frequently visiting the faithful threatened by persecutions. On 2 September 1778 he was appointed apostolic vicar of the provinces of Shansi and Shensi, and on the 4th of the same month he was elected bishop of Domiziopoli. The briefs of appointment were sent to China on 26 September 1778 and reached there in April 1780. He was consecrated on 24 February 1781, at Si-gan-fu. The conditions of the vicariate of Shansi and Shensi are similar to those of Shantung. In those immense provinces, to which were added Kansu and Hukwang, only 11 missionaries were working, of whom 5 in Shensi, 3 in Shansi, 2 in Hukwang and 1 in Kansu. In 1784, during a new persecution, Msgr. S. was forced to hide in the surroundings of Taigun, but in order to avoid reprisals against the Christians he presented himself to the authorities, who imprisoned him, and he died the following year in prison.

Nicola Kowalsky