Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying
Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying (born c. 1821 in Guizhou Province, China; died March 1, 1856 in Guizhou Province, China) was a Chinese lay catechist who was tortured and martyred during the persecution of Christians in Guizhou Province in the mid-19th century. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000, as one of the 120 Martyrs of China. Her feast day is July 9.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying
| Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 9 (feast of the 120 Martyrs of China) |
| Profession | Lay catechist; teacher of the faith in Guizhou Province; harbored missionaries; baptized dying infants; organized prayer and sacramental life in the absence of priests |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Chinese Catholic Church; 19th-century Chinese martyrs; 120 Martyrs of China; lay catechist tradition; Diocese of Guiyang |
| Patronage | Chinese Catholics; lay catechists; those who maintain the faith during persecution; China; Guizhou; those who shelter missionaries |
| Attributes | Chinese traditional dress; palm frond of martyrdom; catechism book or rosary; Chinese Catholic imagery; the 120 Martyrs group |
| Birthplace | Guizhou Province, China |
| Death Place | Guizhou Province, China |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; died March 1, 1856, in Guizhou Province; she was tortured and killed during the Guizhou persecution of Christians; she was a lay catechist who had harbored missionaries and continued to teach the faith despite the danger; she was arrested, tortured over an extended period, and finally killed; she was approximately 35 years old; she was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000, as one of the 120 Martyrs of China |
| Primary Shrine | No single named shrine; commemorated within the broader Chinese Catholic community; July 9 feast observed worldwide; Chinese Catholic communities in diaspora |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); July 9; feast of the 120 Martyrs of China |
| Historic Class | Not in pre-2000 calendar; July 9 in calendar since 2000 |
Biography
Agnes Tsao Kou Ying was born c. 1821 in Guizhou Province, southwestern China. The Catholic faith had been brought to this remote province by missionaries generations before, and the Chinese Catholic community maintained the faith through lay catechists when missionary priests were unavailable or in hiding.
Agnes served as a lay catechist — teaching the faith, organizing prayer, baptizing dying infants, and harboring missionary priests when they came to the area. During the mid-19th century persecution of Christians in Guizhou, she was arrested and subjected to prolonged torture. She refused to deny her faith and died of her tortures on March 1, 1856.
She was beatified by Pope Pius X in 1909 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000, as one of the 120 Martyrs of China — the largest group of Asian saints canonized in a single ceremony.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Guizhou Province, China
Death location: Guizhou Province, China
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Feast day
July 9 (feast of the 120 Martyrs of China)
Veneration
Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying was a lay catechist in Guizhou, China, who was tortured and killed for her faith in 1856. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 as one of the 120 Martyrs of China. Feast July 9.
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