Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all Deacons, Seminarians, Priests, Bishops, Monks, Nuns, Religious Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. Happy feast day to all named Andrew and parents of all named Andrew Happy feast day to all parents of all the Clergy most especially the “Korean Clergy” Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries and Catholic Converts Happy feast day to all martyrs Today (September 20) marks the feast of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was the first Korean-born Catholic priest. In the late 18th century, Roman Catholicism began to take root slowly in Korea, and was introduced by laypeople. It was not until 1836 that Korea saw its first consecrated missionaries (clerics of the Paris Foreign Missions Society) arrive, only to find out that the people there were already practicing Catholicism. Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was born of yangban, on August 21, 1821 in Korea His parents were Catholic converts and his father (Ignatius) was subsequently martyred for practicing Christianity, a prohibited activity in heavily Confucian Korea. After being baptized at age 15, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon studied at a seminary in the Portuguese colony of Macau. He was ordained a Catholic Priest in Shanghai after nine years (1845) by the French Bishop Jean Joseph Ferréol. He then returned to Korea to preach and evangelize. During the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, Christianity was suppressed and many Christians were persecuted and executed. Catholics had to covertly practice their faith. Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was one of several thousand Christians who were executed during this time. In June of 1846, while trying to arrange for passage for additional missionaries to enter Korea by boat along the southeast coast, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was arrested by the border patrol. ------------------------------------------------------ Quote of the day While imprisoned and awaiting his fate, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon wrote to his parish: My dear brothers and sisters know this: Our Lord Jesus Christ upon descending into the world took innumerable pains upon and constituted the holy Church through his own passion and increases it through the passion of its Catholic faithful.... Now, however, some fifty or sixty years since the holy Church entered into our Korea, the faithful suffer persecutions again. Even today persecution rages, so that many of our friends of the same faith, among who am I myself, have been thrown into prison. Just as you also remain in the midst of persecution. Since we have formed one body, how can we not be saddened in our innermost hearts? How can we not experience the pain of separation in our human faculties? However, as Scripture says, God cares for the least hair of our heads, and indeed he cares with his omniscience; therefore, how can persecution be considered as anything other than the command of God, or his prize, or precisely his punishment?... We are twenty here, and thanks be to God all are still well. If anyone is killed, I beg you not to forget his family. I have many more things to say, but how can I express them with pen and paper? I make an end to this letter. Since we are now close to the struggle, I pray you to walk in faith, so that when you have finally entered into Heaven, we may greet one another. I leave you my kiss of love.” - (From the letter of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon to his Parishioners) ---------------------------------- In September 1846, at the age of 25, Saint Andrew Kim was tortured and beheaded near Seoul on the Han River. It is reported that his ears were pierced with arrows while his face was covered with lime. A group of Christians led, by Yi Min-Sik, later moved his body to Mount Mi-ri-nai, about 35 miles from Seoul. Before Father Jean Joseph Ferréol, the first Bishop of Korea, died from exhaustion on the third of February in 1853, he wanted to be buried beside Andrew Kim, stating: “You will never know how sad I was to lose this young native priest. I have loved him as a father loved his son; it is a consolation for me to think of his eternal happiness.” Saint Andrew Kim Taegon’s last words were: This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively: if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him. ” ------------------------------------- Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was martyred on September 16, 1846 (aged 25) Even though Saint Andrew Kim s family members and eventually Saint Andrew Kim himself would suffer persecution, torture and eventual martyrdom under the repressive Korean monarchy, as it desperately tried to preserve itself and Koreas Confucian culture by eradicating Christianity; the sacrifice of these early Korean Christians became the foundation for the Christian Church in Korea to flourish today. Saint Andrew Kim Taegon is revered today in the Roman Catholic Church for his sacrifice and dedication in bringing Christianity to Korea. Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was beatified and given the degree of heroic virtues on the 6th of June 1925 by Pope Pius XI (who was the 259th Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) On the 6th of May, 1984, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon along with 103 other Korean Martyrs, including Saint Paul Chong Hasang were canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II (who was the 259th Vicar of Christ since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) during his Papal trip to Korea. ----------------------------------------- Saint Paul Chong Hasang was born in the year 1795 He was a Catholic Layman who reunited the scattered Christians, and encouraged them to keep their faith and live their faith. Paul wrote the “Sang-Je-Sang-Su” which explained to the Korean government why the Church was no threat to them. He crossed into China nine times, working as a servant to the Korean diplomatic corps. Once he was there, he worked to get the bishop of Beijing to send more Catholic Priests to Korea. He pleaded directly to Rome for help, and on the 9th of September 1831, Pope Gregory XVI (who was the 254th Servant of God since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) proclaimed the validity of the Korean Catholic diocese. When the clergy began to return, Paul entered the seminary. However, he died in the Gi Hye persecution of 1839 before he could be ordained a Catholic Priest! He is regarded as one of the great founders of the Catholic Church in Korea. Saint Paul Chong Hasang was also beatified and given the degree of heroic virtues on the 6th of June 1925 by Pope Pius XI (who was the 259th Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) Among those martyred in 1839 along with Saint Paul Chong Hasang were bishops and priests, but for the most part they were laypersons: forty-seven women, forty-five men. Among them was “Columba Kim”, an unmarried 26 year old woman Catholic History confirms to us that “Columba Kim” was put in prison; she was pierced with hot awls and seared with burning coals. Columba Kim and her sister Agnes Kim were disrobed and kept for two days in a cell with condemned criminals, but they were not molested. After Columba complained about the indignity, no more women were subjected to it. She and her sister Agnes were beheaded. Catholic History confirms also that a 13 year old boy named Peter Ryou, had his flesh so badly torn that he could pull off pieces and throw them at the judges who found him guilty for being a Christian! He was killed by strangulation. Among them also was Protase Chong, who was a forty-one-year-old noble and Catholic Layman, he was apostatized under torture and was freed. Later he came back and confessed his Catholic faith and was tortured to death. Pope Saint John Paul IIs 6th of May, 1984 canonization of Andrew Kim Taegon and the other Korean martyrs was the first time the pontiff had held a canonization Mass outside the Vatican! ----------------------------------------- Reflection of the day At the canonization, Pope Saint John Paul II said: The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by lay people. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in the Catholic faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to todays splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christian in the Church of silence in the north of this tragically divided land. - (Words of Pope Saint John Paul II, during the canonization of the Korean martyrs) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society who were martyred in Korea are: • Andrew Kim Taegon and his father Ignatius • Paul Chong Hasang, • Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert, a bishop • Siméon-François Berneux, a bishop • Shane Lee, another bishop • another bishop • seven priests • Clerics of the Paris Foreign Missions Society • Peter Yu Tae-chol, a 13-year old boy • Mary Yi Yon-hui • Anna Pak Agi • Thomas Son Chason • John Baptist Yi They were canonized in May 1984 by Pope Saint John Paul II. In a break with tradition, the ceremony did not take place in Rome, but in Seoul, South Korea. The Korean Martyrs were known for the staunchness, sincerity, and number of their Catholic converts. Saint Andrew Kim Taegon is the Patron Saint of the Korean Clergy --------------------------------------- Let us pray O God, you have created all nations and you are their salvation. In the land of Korea your call to Catholic faith formed a people of adoption, whose growth you nurtured by the blood of Andrew, Paul, and their companions. Through their martyrdom and their intercession grant us strength that we too may remain faithful to your commandments even until death. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity, intercession and martyrdom of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions, we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the martyrdom of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions can be viewed by clicking the photo of the Martyrs in our groups photo section. Saint of the day, would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions and all other Saints and Martyrs before and after them, through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary and Joseph we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen. Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions, pray for us. Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 11:41:31 +0000
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