Biography
Barbara Kwon Hui
About Barbara Kwon Hui
Barbara Kwon Hui and her husband Augustine Yi Kwang-hon became Catholics around 1817. Neither had grown up in a Catholic family. As persecution forced them to move, they lived in poverty. Augustine became a catechist, and their house served as a place for Catholic worship. Barbara helped receive priests and care for believers coming for the sacraments.
Their daughter was Agatha Yi. Augustine’s younger brother, John the Baptist Yi Kwang-ryol, also belonged to the Catholic community. Barbara provided accommodation and food for Bishop Imbert and the missionaries.
Barbara was arrested with her family in April 1839. She underwent severe punishment at the police and criminal courts. The encyclopedia records that she also witnessed punishment inflicted on one of her sons. She remained in prison for several months without abandoning her faith.
The bishops’ conference account also describes her distress over the suffering of her imprisoned daughter. Barbara was executed outside Seoul’s Small West Gate on September 3, 1839, with five other Catholics.
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