Background
Agnes Tsao Kou Ying was born in the small village of Wujiazhai in Guizhou Province in 1821.
Cao Guiying
Agnes Tsao Kou Ying was born in the small village of Wujiazhai in Guizhou Province in 1821.
Her family was a traditional Catholic family originally from Sichuan Province. There, she met a Catholic woman who let her live with her. Being clever and quick, Agnes learned very quickly from the Bishop.
Therefore, Agnes was left with nothing to eat.
In order to support herself, she took odd jobs as a helper. Then a pious Catholic widow invited Agnes to stay with her.
Being a kind and generous woman, she loved to help others She also had a good understanding of the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church.
Whenever a priest visited them this widow received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
With such an example before her, Agnes was able to cultivate her own spirituality. One day, when French Ma (Auguste Chapdelaine) was in town, he discovered how well Agnes knew the faith and asked her to move to Guangxi Province for some missionary work, especially for teaching the Catholic faith to some 30-40 Catholic families living there (Catholics were very few in those days). In 1852, she went out to the town of Baijiazhai in Xilan County and made it her preaching headquarters, teaching the Catholic faith to places all over Guangxi.
She also taught the native Chinese how to cook and manage a household.
During her spare time, Agnes even helped people babysit. Father Ma later died in prison.
The county magistrate tried to persuade Agnes to deny her faith under the promise that if she did, she would be released. However, Agnes was unmoved.
Then the magistrate threatened torture, but she showed no fear.
Finally, on January 22, the magistrate decided on her punishment. She prayed repeatedly, "God, have mercy on medical Jesus save me!" Then, on January 25, she cried in a loud voice: "God, help me!" and died.
Pope Leo XIII proclaimed her "Blessed" on May 27, 1900, and Pope John Paul II canonized her as a Martyr-Saint on October 1, 2000.
He had her locked in a cage so small that she could only stand up, but her spirit never failed.
Like most other Chinese Martyrs, she was a layperson, not a member of the clergy.