Throughout the history of the Church, missionary priests have spread the faith to many lands and peoples. But the story of the Church in Korea is unique, because the seeds of the faith were sown by the laity and fostered by the laity, without any priests. Indeed, without even the Mass. The first Korean convert was baptized in China in 1784, then returned to his native land where he founded the first Christian community. Twelve years after the first light of faith was kindled there, a Chinese priest secretly entered the country to find 4,000 Catholics who had never set eyes on a priest. Later, two Chinese priests were sent, whose ministry was brief, and then forty years passed before the Paris Foreign Mission Society began sending priests and missionaries to Korea.
Thousands and thousands of martyrs shed their blood for the faith in various waves of persecution – over 10,000 to be exact, of whom 103 (people of diverse ages and walks of life) have been canonized. Today the Church honors their fidelity to Christ, and we also pray for those Korean Christians who continue to risk their lives in the practice of their faith. South Korea has one of the most vibrant Christian communities in Asia, second only to the Philippines. But in North Korea, Christians are forced to practice their faith in secret. Let us pray especially for them today.
Below is an excerpt from the final exhortation of Andre KimTaegon, the first native-born Korean priest, who was beheaded in 1846.
This entry was posted in History, Saints & Angels, The Church by texasnuns. Bookmark the permalink.