Korean layman who kept the faith in the persecution of 1866 and was martyred on December 13, 1866.
Life
Peter Cho Hwa-so was born in 1815. A lay farmer in Jeolla Province, he kept the faith within his family and passed it on to his children. His son, Joseph Cho Yun-ho, would also become a martyr saint.
Arrested in the Byeong-in persecution of 1866 and taken to Jeonju, he did not abandon his faith under cruel torture.
On December 13, 1866, Peter Son Son-ji, Joseph Han Jae-gwon, Bartholomew Chong Mun-ho, Peter Cho Hwa-so, Peter Yi Myong-so and Peter Chong Won-ji were beheaded together at Supjeongi in Jeonju. Ten days later his son Joseph Cho Yun-ho was martyred at the Seocheon-gyo market place in Jeonju.
Spirituality
Peter Cho Hwa-so's spirituality is faith that blossoms in the family. As a father he taught the faith by word and life, and that faith carried on in his son's martyrdom. Faith is handed on most deeply in the home. A parent's prayer and example remain longest in a child's heart.
Reflection
Peter Cho Hwa-so's faith lived on in his son. How am I handing on the faith at home? Why not pray a short prayer with my family today?