Saint Agnes of China
Saint Agnes was born in China and as a young woman, she was married off to a farmer. When her husband died suddenly after only two years, his parents threw her out of the house.
Saint Agnes was forced to find work as a maid. She moved in with a devout Catholic, who taught her the faith and Saint Agnes consecrated herself to Christ.
Saint Agnes was later sent out to local villages to teach cooking and housekeeping. She never complained about the hard work, and not only taught the catechism, but was a shining example in how she lived the faith.
In 1856, as anti Catholic sentiment rose, she was arrested and given the choice of renouncing her beliefs or death. She would not renounce Jesus.
At her trial she was again given the choice to deny her faith or be killed. Saint Agnes said
‘Even should I die, I will not deny my lord’.
For the crime of being Christian, Saint Agnes was sentenced to be placed in a cage with no food or water until death. She was heard praying constantly from her cage, and she died on the fourth day. She was 35 years old.
Our Lady of China, Pray for Us.