Rite and Reason: Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries thousands of Irish women and men gave themselves in the service of others. Brendan Ó Cathaoirwrites about one such man who gave his life
Tim Leonard represents a heroic strand in the modern missionary movement. "Does it ever occur to you that you might be killed out there in China?" he was asked during a visit home to Ireland. "And what if I was," he replied, adding: "After all, what is it but a bad quarter of an hour and then think of the reward."
In July 1929, while celebrating Mass in Nan Feng, he was kidnapped and three days later suffered a cruel death at the hands of communist bandits.
He was aged 36.
While studying to become a priest in the diocese of Limerick, he was influenced by Fr John Blowick and Fr Edward Galvin to dedicate his life to spreading the gospel of Christ. They had established the Maynooth Mission to China (renamed the Missionary Society of St Columban in 1918).
A farmer's son from Ballysimon, Co Limerick, Leonard had the reputation of being a scholar at Maynooth. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Gaelic revival, spending recreation time learning Irish with like-minded students.
He was among the first group of 15 missionaries who left Ireland for China on St Patrick's Day, 1920. They sailed first to the United States, travelled next by train to San Francisco, where they embarked for the Far East.
Their daunting challenge followed in the tradition of the Jesuit mission to China, 1579-1724, which had been inspired by St Francis Xavier.
They faced increased danger with the outbreak of civil war between Chinese communists and nationalists in 1927. Every missionary risked death. But Leonard was tireless in missionary zeal. His comrades warned him that not even his iron constitution could withstand the strain he was putting on it. He trudged in all weathers from village to village, sleeping in unsanitary and verminous hovels, eating whatever food poor Christians could provide. He took pastoral charge of the town of Nan Feng in the mountainous province of Kiangsi.
Shortly before his final ordeal he spent six days in silence and prayer. After Red Army cadres seized the town on July 15th, 1929, they surrounded Fr Leonard's compound and led a mob into his church. He was struck with a gun butt and lost his glasses.
He was more concerned when the intruders snatched a ciborium and trampled on consecrated hosts. At first they demanded a ransom of $30,000. He secured the release of his altar server by handing over whatever money he possessed (about $100).
He was led away with 16 other prisoners. When they paused to rest, he knelt to pray. His captors jeered and pulled the cords which bound him, causing him to fall on his face. On learning that his community was not being actively persecuted, Leonard said: "Thank God, my mind is now easy. As for myself it cannot be more than a matter of a few days."
He told his interrogators: "You have defiled my church. You have bound and beaten me. Now I am willing to suffer death for the Christian faith."
Of the 17 captives, one committed suicide before the trial, two joined the communist forces, five were held for ransom and nine condemned. Leonard was found guilty of "practising religion".
After a long march into the mountains, they were assembled in a room.
As the name of each condemned man was called, he was led out and stabbed to death.
The missionary's body was found the following day, his head partly severed.
Fr Leonard concluded his last letter home: "We had no very big results here during the year, but there were ever so many little things, for which we can never thank God sufficiently."
Bishop Michael Fogarty of Killaloe remembered him as "a single-minded, honest-hearted and devout priest, whose ambitions were all with God".
Limerick peace commissioner John Leonard had heard much about his cousin. His mother hoped Fr Tim would be canonised. Eventually, he visited China, discovered the unmarked grave and erected a Celtic cross.
Mr Leonard pays tribute to local Catholics who put the memorial in place. They still visit the grave, light candles and pray to this man of God.
In Monaleen, Co Limerick, where a plaque was unveiled recently, Mgr Dan Neenan recalls there were six members of that generation of the Leonard family: four brothers (three of whom became priests) and two sisters. "One of them was nicer than the other."
Such was the faith of the family that when Tim was murdered, his brother Dr Willie Leonard, a professor in Australia, sent a telegram to their mother congratulating her on having reared a martyr.
• Brendan Ó Cathaoiris a historian and former Irish Timesjournalist