Korean laywoman who kept the faith in the persecution of 1839 and was martyred on December 29, 1839.
Life
Barbara Ko Sun-i was born in 1798 and was the wife of Augustine Pak Chong-won, who was martyred the following January. Together with her husband she built a household of faith, helping fellow believers and devoting herself to prayer.
Arrested in the Gihae persecution of 1839, she held firmly to her faith through interrogation and punishment. She was beheaded outside Seosomun in Seoul on December 29, 1839, and her husband followed her a month later.
Spirituality
Barbara Ko Sun-i's spirituality is the love of spouses who hold up each other's faith. Walking the road of martyrdom before her husband, she left behind a witness urging those who remained to stay faithful to the end.
Reflection
Barbara Ko bore witness before her husband and became a strength to him. Does my faith give courage to those close to me? Today, consider offering a word of encouragement in faith to a family member or friend.