Agnes Tsao Kou Ying
Agnes Tsao Kou Ying (28 April 1821 – 1 March 1856; also Agnes Kouying Tsao), or Cao Guiying (), was a Qing dynasty Chinese layperson who was martyred for preaching the Gospel in Guangxi. She was canonized a martyr-saint by Pope John Paul II on 1 October 2000. Early life Tsao was born in the small village of Wujiazhai in Guizhou Province on April 28, 1821. Her family was a traditional Catholic family originally from Sichuan Province. She later left her hometown to work in the city of Xingyi after her parents died. There she met a Catholic woman who let her live with her. Soon, Bishop Bai came to visit Xingyi and found out that she was without family so he took her to the local parish to learn more about Christianity. The bishop found her to be clever and a quick learner. When Tsao became eighteen, she married a local farmer, but her brother- and sister-in-law treated her as an outsider (for she was Christian) and did not consider her a part of the family. Therefore, Tsao was left with little to eat. Things became worse for Tsao when her husband died after two years and she was