Saint of the Day - St. Andrew Kim Taegon (September 20th)
Channel: House of Prayers for Everyone (HOPE)
Date: 19/09/2023

Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, also referred to as Andrew Kim, was the first Korean-born Catholic priest and the patron saint of Korean clergy. The Roman Catholic Church commemorates his feast day every Sept. 20th.

Early Life

Born on August 21, 1821, Kim's parents were converts and his father was subsequently martyred for practicing Christianity, a prohibited activity in heavily Confucian Korea.

Priesthood

After being baptized at age 15, Kim studied at a seminary in the Portuguese colony of Macau. He also spent time in study at Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines, where today he is also venerated. 

He was ordained a priest in Shanghai after nine years (1844) by the French bishop Jean Joseph Jean-Baptiste Ferréol, the first Bishop of Korea. He then returned to Korea to preach and evangelize.

Persecution and Execution

During the Joseon Dynasty, Christianity was suppressed and many Christians were persecuted and executed. Catholics had to practice their faith covertly.

Unfortunately, Kim was one of several thousand Christians who were executed during this time. In 1846, at the age of 25, he was tortured and beheaded near Seoul on the Han River. 

Kim'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 my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is at 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.

The Martyrs of Korea

Before Ferréol died from exhaustion on February 3, 1853, he asked to be buried next to 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."

On May 6, 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized Kim along with 102 other Korean Martyrs, during his trip to Korea. The feast day of Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions is celebrated on September 20th.

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Image attributed to the following:
- By Andrew_Kim.jpg: Swiss Jamesderivative work: Maliepa - This file was derived from: Andrew Kim.jpg:, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons