Although she lost her family at a young age, St. Agnes Tsao Kou Ying carried her family’s Catholic faith with her as an orphan and received encouragement in her faith from those she stayed with and from the local bishop.

This encouragement fostered her budding relationship with Christ as she grew into a young woman and married a local farmer at age 18. Because of her faith, she was treated as an outsider and was shunned and starved when her husband died two years later. Despite these struggles, Tsao was baptized and took the name of Agnes.

French missionary St. Auguste Chapdelaine asked Agnes to move to another province and teach about 30 Catholic families who lived there. She agreed and taught not only about the Christian faith, but household management and cooking as well. As time allowed, she also assisted families with everyday tasks. Agnes lovingly served the families she taught, and in turn she was loved by those she served.

Trouble followed Auguste, however. In 1856, when the local government accused him of insurrection and an angry mob sought to arrest him, Agnes was among those Catholics captured with him. They were subjected to interrogation and torture, but eventually all were released except Agnes and Auguste. St. Auguste Chapdelaine soon died in prison. Agnes died shortly thereafter, but her prayers were continuous until the end: “God have mercy on me; Jesus, save me!”

Agnes Tsao Kou Ying was proclaimed blessed in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII and canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II, along with St. Auguste. The Catholic Church recognizes 120 Chinese Catholic martyrs who worked to spread the Gospel through China. In North America, there are two Chinese Catholic churches in Markham, Ontario, near Toronto,and one is named after St. Agnes.