Lavrentiy Bay Syaoman Saint of the Roman Catholic Church, martyr. Country: China

1. Early Life and Conversion
2. Martyrdom and Legacy
3. In the Catholic Church, his feast day is celebrated on July 9th.

Early Life and Conversion

Born into extreme poverty in 1821, Bai Xiaoman lost his parents at a young age and became an orphaned laborer. In 1851, he traveled to Guangxi Province, now known as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In 1854, Bai Xiaoman encountered Catholic missionary Augustine Chapdelaine, who baptized him into the Christian faith. Ten days after his baptism, he was arrested alongside Chapdelaine.

Martyrdom and Legacy

Subjected to brutal torture, Bai Xiaoman refused to renounce his Christian beliefs. On February 25, 1856, he was beheaded in a forest, his remains abandoned to be scavenged by animals.

Bai Xiaoman was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 as one of the 120 Chinese Martyrs.

In the Catholic Church, his feast day is celebrated on July 9th.