Saintly Saturday - St. Andrew Kim Taegon & Companions


Despite the fact that Christianity has been a part of Korea since 1593, Koreans didn't have true religious freedom until 1883. Japan invaded Korea in 1592 & it is believed that Christian Japanese soldiers converted & baptized Koreans. 

It was difficult, however, to evangelize the Korean people because their government refused most all interactions outside of their country, other than yearly taxes to Beijing. Around 1777, home churches managed to begin through the use of Jesuit literature obtained in China. Dozens of years later, a Chinese priest found his was into Korea & discovered 4000 Catholics. I think this is an amazing example of God's Will for the people of Korea...people who'd never met a priest or had access to the Sacraments became Catholic! By the year 1883, their numbers increased to around 10,000.

There was still much persecution of Catholics, though. Andrew Kim Taegon was the first Korean priest & the son of Christian converts. For six years, he attended a seminary in China, 1300 miles from his home. Once ordained, his assignment was to help missionaries into Korea, avoiding border patrols via a water route. He became a martyr for the Faith when arrested, tortured, & beheaded for his efforts to help the spread Christianity.

Others martyred during these persecutions included his father, Ignatius Kim; Paul Chong Hasang, a lay person & husband; Columba Kim, an unmarried 26 year old woman, & her sister, Agnes; 13 year old Peter Ryou; & 41 year old Protase Chong, who had been tortured & freed, yet returned to profess his Faith & face more torture to his death. In 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized a total of 98 Koreans & two missionaries from France. We honor these men & women in their feast day, Sept. 20. 

St. Andres Kim Taegon & Companions, Pray for Us!

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