Early Life
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. Agnes 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. Being clever and quick, Agnes learned very quickly from the Bishop.
When Agnes 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, Agnes was left with nothing to eat. Things became worse for Agnes when her husband died two years later and she was driven out of the house. 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.
Read more about this topic: St. Agnes Tsao Kou Ying
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“... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business experience women can gain, too, knowledge of the world and of human beings, which should be of immeasurable value to their marriage careers. Self-discipline, co-operation, adaptability, efficiency, economic management,—if she learns these in her business life she is liable for many less heartbreaks and disappointments in her married life.”
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