Biography
Barbara Yi Chong-hui
About Barbara Yi Chong-hui
Barbara Yi Chong-hui grew up at Bongcheon in a family of noble background. Her mother was Magdalena Heo Gye-im, her younger sister Magdalena Yi Yong-hui and her aunt Theresa Yi Mae-im. Theresa introduced them to Catholicism. Because Barbara’s father opposed the religion, they practiced it secretly.
Barbara resisted an arranged marriage to a man who was not Catholic. She later married a Catholic man, who died after two years. She returned to her family.
Barbara stayed with her aunt before joining Magdalena in a small house in Seoul obtained with help from Pacificus Yu. Their niece Barbara Yi also lived there. The sisters earned their livelihood by selling thread.
During the persecution of 1839, Barbara was imprisoned and subjected to severe punishment. She was executed outside Seoul’s Small West Gate on September 3, 1839.
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