Lu Bohong

Lu was born into a family that had remained staunchly Catholic since their conversion in the Ming period. Devoted to his faith since his youth, Lu was highly regarded by the church. In 1913, when Catholic Action in China was founded, Lu was elected its president. In 1935, the organization held its first representative meeting, and he was elected presiding chairman. In 1936, Pope Pius XI conferred on Lu the honor of la dignite de camerier de cape et d’epee.

In 1912, Lu founded St. Joseph’s Hospice. In 1924, 1926, and 1935 respectively, he founded Sacred Heart Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Song Jiang, and Shanghai Mercy Hospital for the mentally ill. Lu also founded a junior high school. In 1922, he became the manager of the Chinese Electric Company and in 1924 took over the Water and Electric Company. In 1925, he founded the Wuxhing Iron and Steel Company; in 1928, Lu became general manager of the Nanto Water Company. In 1929, he founded Da Cheng Shipping Company. When war broke out following the Lu Gou Bridge Affair, Lu moved to the French territory. On 30 Dec 1937, he was found murdered. The authorities in the French territory failed to arrest the culprit, and so the case has remained unresolved.