Imprisoned at Jeonju in the Gihae persecution, she held to the faith and died in prison around October 1839. The mother of Blessed Anastasia Yi Bong-geum, she was beatified by Pope Francis on August 16, 2014.
Life
Anastasia Kim Jo-i, a commoner from Deoksan in Chungcheong Province, came to the faith through her husband. During the Gihae persecution of 1839 she was arrested together with her daughter, Anastasia Yi Bong-geum, and imprisoned in Jeonju.
Interrogation and punishment were hard to bear, yet she never accepted the demand to deny God. She was sentenced to death, but before the sentence could be carried out she died in prison of illness and her wounds, around October 1839. Her young daughter was martyred in Jeonju that December.
Pope Francis declared her Blessed on August 16, 2014.
Spirituality
The spirituality of Anastasia Kim Jo-i is a sturdy faith grown in the home. An ordinary wife, she faced persecution with a faith built up by daily prayer. The hope of resurrection, which her name Anastasia signifies, lit her final days.
Reflection
Anastasia Kim Jo-i overcame persecution with a faith built through daily prayer. Is there time for prayer together in my home? Why not pray briefly with my family today?