St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn (1821-1846)
Feast Day - September 20th
The Catholic faith took root in Korea in the late 13th century by lay initiative, and apart from the seven-year ministry of a martyred Chinese priest, grew as a lay body until French priests arrived in 1837 to serve the legally proscribed Church. Andrew formed the fourth generation of his family to practice such persecuted Catholicism; his great-grandfather died imprisoned for the faith and his father would precede Andrew in martyrdom by several years. He left Korea at age 15 for seminary studies, and in August 1845 returned as the nation's first native-born priest. He served the Catholic communities in the area of his hometown, moving about at night to avoid detection. Arrested in June of the following year, Andrew spent three months in prison before being beheaded. From prison he encouraged his flock: "Be steadfast and let us meet in Heaven. [...] God will soon send you a much better pastor than me. So do not grieve but practice greater charity and serve the Lord so that we may meet again in God's eternal mansion." Patron of Korean Clergy
DonorThe Korean Community of the Diocese of Raleigh † In memory of |
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