Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions

Readings --1 Tm. 6:13-16;

Ps. 100:1-2, 3, 4, 5; Lk. 8:4-15. (Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time)

Some Notes on Today’s Saints --

1. In the late 18th century, around the year 1777, Catholicism began taking root in Korea. Some Korean Confucian scholars who had visited China decided to follow Christ after reading books brought into the country by Catholics from China.

2. In 1794, a visiting Chinese priest found 4,000 believers, who had never seen a priest. Indeed, Catholicism in Korea was established by lay people and not by ordained clerics. In 50 years, the number of Catholics grew to nearly 10,000. Opposed by Confucian Joseon rulers, Catholics were persecuted and executed. They had to practice their faith in secret.

3. Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Ha-Sang, and Companions were martyred between 1839 and 1867. Most of the 103 martyrs honored today were killed during three major persecutions in 1839, 1846, and 1866.

 4. Paul Chong Ha-Sang was born in 1795 into a noble Korean family. When he was 8 years old, his older brother and father were martyred. He became a lay catechist and got married. He made several trips to Beijing to convince the Parish Foreign Missionary Society to send priests to Korea. He even wrote Pope Gregory XVI with the same request.

5. Partly due to his efforts, Bishop Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert, Vicar Apostolic of Korea, and ten missionary companions entered Korea clandestinely in 1837. For almost two years, they hid during the day and ministered in secret at night to the converted Catholic population.

6. In 1839, Bp. Imbert was betrayed. He and two of his French priests voluntarily turned themselves in, hoping that the sacrifice of their lives would spare the lives of people. They remained steadfast despite brutal torture to force them to renounce their faith. They were executed on 21 Sept. 1839. Paul Ha-Sang was martyred during the same persecution that took the life of Bp. Imbert.

7. Andrew Kim Tae-gon was also born into the noble ruling of the Joseon Dynasty. His parents were new converts. He was baptized at the age of 14 or 15. Three years later, his father was among the 1839 martyrs and is included among today’s martyrs. After Andrew was baptized, he travelled to Macau to enter the seminary. But he completed his theological training in the Philippines.

8. In 1845, he was ordained in Shanghai as the 1st Korean priest. He returned to Korea secretly. He celebrated the Sacraments and taught the faith in secret. But his ministry was short-lived. In 1846, he was arrested and subjected to brutal torture. But Fr. Andrew remained strong in his faith.

9. While in prison, he wrote his parishioners and encouraged them to remain firm in their faith. He wrote that salvation is in Christ. “We have the honor of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do to us if we are Christians in name only and not in fact?” Andrew Kim was beheaded on 16 Sept. 1846 at the age of 25.

10. Persecution continued. In 1866, the worst persecution took place. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 20,000 people were martyred in Korea during the 19th century to stop conversions. Most of the martyrs were laypeople. Some were catechists, others were noblemen, women, and children. The blood of martyrs is truly the seed of the faith. Today, South Korea has nearly 6 million Catholics.

11. Fr. Andrew Kim Tae-go, Paul Chong Ha-sang, and their 101 companions were canonized together by Pope John Paul II, during his apostolic visit to Seoul, South Korea, on 6 May 1984, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the 1st  Korean convert.

12. Real faith cannot be stopped by threats of death. Martyrs choose faith over earthly lives. The martyrdom of Sts. Andrew Kim, Paul Chong, and their companions calls us to recommit ourselves to Christ, our Way, and Life.

13. Prayer — O God, you have been pleased to increase your adopted children in all the world and made the blood of the Martyrs St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon and his companions a most fruitful seed of Christians. Grant that we may be defended by their help and profit always by their example, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers, best wishes, God bless!