Google Preferred Sources
ForumsShare

This week in Christian history: First Korean Catholic priest martyred; Baptist Church bombed

By Michael Gryboski, Editor

Korea's first Catholic priest martyred – Sept. 16, 1846

Andrew Kim Taegon (1821–1846), first Korean Roman Catholic priest who was martyred for his faith and later canonized as a saint.
Andrew Kim Taegon (1821–1846), first Korean Roman Catholic priest who was martyred for his faith and later canonized as a saint. | Wikimedia Commons/Maliepa

This week marks the anniversary of when St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Roman Catholic priest of the Korean Peninsula, was martyred for his beliefs.

Taegon was born on Aug. 21, 1821, in South Chungcheong Province, having been arrested by authorities for being a Christian. 

Taegon was beheaded for his faith in Ichon-dong, located in Seoul's Yongsan District, being one of more than a hundred Christians who were killed during a wave of persecution.

“Kim Taegon’s death came just 13 months after he was ordained a priest at a cathedral in Shanghai in 1845,” Vatican News reported.

“Andrew Kim is among the 103 Korean martyrs, including 15 women, canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in Seoul on May 6, 1984. Their feast is celebrated on September 20.”

This year, approximately 1,700 Catholic churches in South Korea celebrated the 200th anniversary of St. Andrew Kim's birth by holding masses both in-person and virtually, as well as other events.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Become a CP Insider.
Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

The truth has a cost, and Insiders help carry it.
A dollar from an Insider comes with no strings attached. It keeps our reporters on the story, keeps our journalism open to everyone, and keeps every editorial decision in the newsroom, where it belongs.

Become a CP Insider and choose the amount you want to pay. You can change, pause or cancel anytime. As a thank-you, you’ll get:

  • The Insider Newsletter, a members-only monthly letter from our newsroom

  • Ad-free reading across christianpost.com


From as low as $8.25/month
Prefer to give once?

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles.
Return to homepage.

Most Popular