1944 - John Botton

April 30, 1944

Xuchang, Henan

John Botton.

John (also known as Gino) Botton was born at Carmignano di Brenta, near Padua in Italy on May 9, 1908. Growing up in a devout Catholic household—the youngest of ten children—it was not surprising when John expressed his desire to study for the priesthood. In the autumn of 1920, aged just 12, Botton travelled to the city of Vincenza and entered the Xaverian Institute. One of the teachers, Pietro Uccelli, frequently spoke with passion about the need for missionary work in China. His influence rubbed off on the impressionable young man. Botton moved to Parma in 1924 and was ordained in the early 1930s. Two of his brothers were also priests.

The Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier for the Foreign Missions, founded in 1895, was one of the lesser-known Catholic missionary groups. On one occasion in 1928 the founder of the mission, Guido Conforti, visited the seminary after returning from a trip to China. He told the students, “I saw the harvest with my own eyes! Of all the peoples of the earth, the Chinese are, perhaps, the most well-disposed to the Christian message. If only there were more missionaries.”[1] Botton volunteered to be a missionary to China.

On June 22, 1934, Botton sent a letter to his parents, notifying them that he had been accepted by the Xavier Mission to become a missionary to China. He told them:

“Needless to say, I am happy: I learned from you that we are not born for this world, but for Heaven; and Heaven is well worth some sacrifice. I have also learned from you the necessity of self-sacrifice and I will never forget your example. Although I am sent as an apostle, I will never be able to match you, my first models and example. My departure means yet another sacrifice for you; but since you have already offered everything to the Lord, this one will not be too heavy to bear…. Our hearts will always be united. I need nothing except that you be happy for me.”[2]

John’s father was unable to come to Venice to see him off, as he was suffering a fever. John’s mother also stayed at home to take care of her husband. She “went as far as the doorway with him, kissed him and burst into tears. Almost ashamed of her tears, she closed the door and went back inside to her old and sick husband who whispered to her: ‘My dearest, we will never see him again.’”[3]

Botton enthusiastically joined the work in Henan Province. In 1904 the mission in Henan consisted of just 600 Catholics. Thirty years later they numbered more than 20,000. After a year of study Botton was sent to Juzhou, where he provided spiritual guidance to about 20 Catholic communities, most of them in remote mountain villages connected by small paths only accessible by donkey or on foot.

Throughout the 1930s Henan was increasingly overrun by lawlessness. Groups of bandits roamed the countryside, wreaking havoc and destruction wherever they went. Many families were stretched beyond their ability to cope, and dozens of babies were dropped at the mission door, abandoned by desperate and impoverished parents who could simply no longer feed them.

Although in the West, the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 is generally seen as the start of World War II, to the Chinese people it commenced in July 1937, when the Japanese moved their troops closer to Beijing, which led to the ‘Lukuchao incident’. Several columns of Japanese troops swept across China, swiftly capturing key cities and ports. At dawn on May 13th a swarm of airplanes dropped a new load of bombs on Zhengzhou. One report noted:

“The bishop and the missionaries had just finished celebrating the Eucharist in the Cathedral when the sirens began to wail, and they managed to find shelter just in time: six or seven bombs hit the Cathedral and demolished the roof and the walls. When the bishop and the missionaries left their refuge, they found the cathedral in a heap of ruins: in just a few minutes, the work of 30 years had been destroyed.”[4]

Because of the pressing need for relief work, Botton was reassigned to Zhengzhou in September 1940. Then a major development occurred. Italy joined the war on the side of Germany. Both countries were friendly with Japan, and therefore enemies of China. Botton and his co-workers were suspected of espionage and rumours were afloat that the missionaries were maintaining radio communications with the enemy forces. In June 1941 the missionaries were sent to a concentration camp in Neixiang in southern Henan Province. Botton was released from the camp in November 1943, but the experience had marked his personality. He gradually recovered his inner spark, and recommenced work helping the thousands of desperate war refugees in Xuzhou.

On April 30, 1944, Japanese troops approached Xuzhou and fierce fighting ensued. One of John Botton’s friends and fellow Italian priests, Ermanno Zulian, later told what happened next:

“A few low-flying aircraft appeared and fired upon us; from the ground someone replied with anti-aircraft weapons. Every one of us, nuns, women, teachers and Christians, went down into the hidden cellar situated under my bedroom…. Later, at about 5 p.m., the sound of boots in the courtyard signalled the arrival of the Japanese! Botton said: ‘They are coming! I am going out, if not they will bomb and kill us all!’ He went quickly up the wooden steps with a white handkerchief in his hand. In the doorway there were two Japanese with their bayonets drawn. Botton called out: ‘Italy! Italy!” then he cried out and rolled back down the stairs. The soldiers had stabbed him with the bayonets. One of the soldiers followed him down shooting. I shouted: ‘Italy! Catholic Church! There are no soldiers here!’ The soldier shouted angrily and shot again, then withdrew.

Botton was bleeding badly. He said to the Christians in Chinese: ‘Do not cry for me. I am happy it happened this way.’ Then, with a sigh, he said: ‘Lord, come and take me…. I am suffering greatly…. I offer my life for China.’”[5]

Throughout the evening the 35-year-old John Botton slowly slipped towards death. Just before midnight he breathed his last. He had served in China almost ten years. The Chinese Christians were deeply moved by Botton’s sacrifice, saying he had given his life to save theirs. He was buried in the garden of the mission.

1. Taken from a profile of John Botton on the www.xaviermissionaries.org website.
2. John Botton profile at www.xaviermissionaries.org.
3. John Botton profile at www.xaviermissionaries.org.
4. John Botton profile at www.xaviermissionaries.org.
5. John Botton profile at www.xaviermissionaries.org.