Joseph Freinademetz was a Catholic priest and missionary belonging to the Society of the Divine Word. Born in 1852 in the Tyrol region of the Austrian Empire, he felt a strong call to missionary work early in his priesthood. He traveled to China in 1879, eventually serving in the Shandong province. He focused heavily on educating local clergy and laypeople, even composing a catechism in Chinese to assist his efforts. He died in 1908 in Jining after contracting typhus while providing aid during an outbreak.