Saint Agatha Lin

Life story

Agatha Lin (Lin Zhao) was born in 1817 in Guizhou, the only child of Christian parents. She learned to read and write, which was unusual for Chinese girls of the time, and she ran a girls' school at her home. In the 1850s she worked as a lay catechist at Maokou, in Guizhou, where she is counted among the Martyrs of Maokou.

In late 1857 she was arrested at Maokou. By order of the mandarin of Maokou she was called on to renounce Christianity; she refused and was condemned to be beheaded. On 28 January 1858 she was beheaded there, together with the catechist Jerome Lu Tingmei and Laurence Wang Bing.

Pope Pius X beatified her on 2 May 1909, and Pope John Paul II canonized her on 1 October 2000 together with the Martyrs of China, the group of 120 martyrs of whom 87 were Chinese. Two other lay catechists in that group are Agnes Cao Guiying and Lucy Yi Zhenmei. The Martyr Saints of China are commemorated together on 9 July; some Episcopal calendars keep a separate lesser feast for the three women on 19 February.

Works and witness

• Learned to read and write as a child
• Ran a girls' school at her home
• Worked as a lay catechist at Maokou in Guizhou
• Beheaded on 28 January 1858 with Jerome Lu Tingmei and Laurence Wang Bing

Saints from the same country

The 120 Martyrs of China, Saint Anna Wang, Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang, Saint Agnes Tsao Kou Ying

References

• Holy See, list of the Martyrs of China canonized 1 October 2000 (vatican.va, ns_lit_doc_20001001_zhao-rong-compagni_en), read – Agatha Lin Zao, catechist, killed 28 January 1858 by order of the mandarin of Maokou
• Episcopal lesser feast page for Agnes Tsao Kou Ying, Agatha Lin Zhao and Lucy Yi Zhenmei (kccathedral.org) – born 1817, only child of Christian parents, ran a girls' school at her home, arrested 1857
• Wikipedia (English), “Agatha Lin” – Jerome Lu Tingmei, Laurence Wang Bing, beatification 1909

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.