The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-01-02
3-Year Old's
Death Brings
Dad To Faith

WASHINGTON, ID. c. - (NC) -
A tragedy that took the life of his
three-year-old daughter led to the
Korean Marine Corps top comman-
der becoming a Catholic.
This was revealed by Major Gen.
eral Joachim Shin himself in an
interview here with N.C.W.C. News
Service. The 38-year-0ld comman-
der was in Washington prior to re-
turning TO Korea after round
the-country tour of us. Marine
Corps installations.
Together with his wife and three
surviving children, General Shin
was baptized recently by Father
Augustine You in the chapel of
the Maryknoll Sisters hospital in
Pusan, with DR.. John Chang. form.
er Korean Prime Minister, acting
as sponsor for the family.
Two of the Shins' three young
sterS are boys - Ong Mok. IL, and
Ong Inn. T. The third is their
two-year-old daughter, Soon Ok.
The fourth child was three-year-old
Marie, who was fatally injured in
November, 1850, when 0ng Mok
accidentally discharged a rifle in
the Shin home AT that time Gen
eral Shin was with his troopS in
North Korea.
Marie was enrolled i'm a Catho-
lie kindergarten when the accident
happened. Before she died. she
was baptized by a priest, and her
remains were inferred in the Cath
Ollie cemetery at Seoul, where the
Shins then lived.
1T was the fact that our little
girl had been baptized a Catholic
and was buried in Catholic
cemetery that turned my thoughts
toward the Church." General Shin
explained about four months
ago, | began to take regular in
structlons from Father You. Mean
while, my wife and three children
were prepared for baptism by the
Sisters of Perpetual Help"
Father You is a chaplain with
the rank of lieutenant in the Ko-
rean Marine Corps. The Sisters OF
Perpetual Help are a Korean con
gregation founded by the Mary
knoll Sisters in Pyongyang before
the Pacific war.
General Shin. whose native first
name is Hyon Zoon. took the
Christian name of Joachim at
baptism. and his wife the name of
Anna. They took the names after
the parents of the Blessed Virgin,
in whose honor their dead child
had been named Marie.
General Shin said his period Of
preparation for baptism had oe-
cupied ten weeks. He declared
however, that Il am still taking in.
StructionS and am anxious to know
great deal more about the Faith. IS
Before becoming a Catholic. the
general had profesSed no specific
religious belief.
Il rejoice that my family and
are now Catholics" he said.
know that Catholicism is a pre-
ciouS and holy gift, and can say il
has given me much consolation in
the loss of child who was espec
tally dear to me"
During his stay in Washington
General Shin, who is native ol
kimchun, in North Kyong Sang Dc
province, was presented with /
ceremonial sword by General lie
muel c. Shepherd, Jr., us. Marine
Corps commandant. at a ceremony
in Marine Corps headquarters. The
sword will be handed in TO his sue
cessor when General Shin retireS
/, General Shin was present alss
when another Korean official Vice
Admiral Sohn Won Yil, South ko
rean chief of naval operations. laic
wreath at the Tomb of the Tn
known Soldier in Arlington Ma
tional Cemtery. He was accom-
panied by his aide, Captain Kan,
Han "a, who acted as his interpre
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