Francis Xavier Ford, MM (January 11, 1892 - February 21, 1952) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Kaying from 1946 until his death in 1952.

[5] During twenty years of serving in Kaying, Ford increased his flock from 9,000 to 20,000 and built schools, hostels, and churches.

He was chairman of the Chinese Catholic Welfare Conference for Southern China and played an important role in establishing the first overseas convent for the Maryknoll Sisters.

[6] Nevertheless, Ford remained at his post, aiding Chinese guerrillas, helping downed Allied airmen escape,[7] relieving war refugees in distress.

[2] Shortly after the war ended, in April 1946, the vicariate was raised by the Holy See to the status of a full diocese, with Ford appointed as its first bishop.

In December 1950, the Communists placed Ford and his secretary, Joan Marie Ryan, under house arrest and charged them with espionage.

[2] Ford's diocese would have been the first Maryknoll territory to be turned over to the native clergy had the Communists not suppressed the local Catholic community.

The public phase of the process began in December 2017 with a Mass to mark the 100th anniversary of the ordination of Bishop Ford.

Weigel further stated that "[persecuted] Catholics [in China] need the encouragement of a witness like that given by Francis Xavier Ford, whose blood may yet prove to have paved the King's Highway in the Middle Kingdom.