Anna Pak Agi was a Catholic saint born in 1782 in Gangcheon, Joseon. Despite finding religious study difficult, she maintained a deep devotion to her faith, frequently meditating on the Passion of Christ. After marrying a Christian man, she raised five children. Her steadfast commitment to her beliefs eventually led to her arrest alongside her husband and eldest son during a period of religious persecution in South Korea.
Life and martyrdom
Following her arrest, Anna's husband and son chose to renounce their faith to gain freedom, but she refused to do the same. Even when her family pleaded with her to return home to her dying mother and children, she encouraged them to remain faithful to God instead. She spent three months in prison, where she remained resolute against the judge's attempts to influence her, before dying in Seoul in 1839.
Veneration
She was beatified in 1925 and later canonized by Pope John Paul II as one of the 103 Korean Martyrs. The Catholic Church commemorates her on May 24, and she is also honored on September 20 alongside the other martyrs.