John Baptist Yi Kwang-nyol (c. 1800 – July 20, 1839) was one of the 103

Korean Martyrs The Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against Catholics during the nineteenth century in Korea. Between 8,000–10,000 Korean Christians were killed during this period. 103 Catholics were canonized ''en masse'' in May 198 ...

. His feast day is July 20, and he is also venerated along with the rest of The

Korean martyrs The Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against Catholics during the nineteenth century in Korea. Between 8,000–10,000 Korean Christians were killed during this period. 103 Catholics were canonized ''en masse'' in May 198 ...

on September 20. John embraced Roman Catholicism with his elder brother when he was 28 years old. His fervor attracted the attention of the

catechist Catechesis (; from Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of converts to Christianity, but as the ...

s, who sent him to Beijing to negotiate affairs of religion. The priests of the capital, in admiration of his piety, conferred upon him

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

and the other sacraments. John Baptist, after his return to his country, abstained from eating meat throughout the rest of his life, and made a resolution to live in

celibacy Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the ...

. He was noted for his holy exterior appearance. He was martyred at the age of 39, severely tortured with torturing instruments and at last beheaded with an axe.

References

Bibliography

''The Lives of the 103 Martyr Saints of Korea: Saint John Baptist Yi Kwang-nyol (1795~1839)''
, Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea Newsletter No. 56 (Fall 2006). 1800 births 1839 deaths 19th-century Christian saints 19th-century executions by Korea 19th-century Roman Catholic martyrs Converts to Roman Catholicism Executed Korean people Korean Roman Catholic saints People executed by Korea by decapitation Christian martyrs executed by decapitation Catholic martyrs Canonizations by Pope John Paul II Joseon Christians {{saint-stub