Andrew Kim Taegon (21 August 1821 – 16 September 1846), also referred to as Andrew Kim in English, was the first
Korean-born
Catholic priest and is the patron saint of Korean clergy.
Life
In the late 18th century,
Catholicism began to take root slowly in Korea, having been introduced by scholars who visited China and brought back Western books translated into Chinese. In 1836 Korea saw its first consecrated missionaries (members of the
Paris Foreign Missions Society) arrive,
[''The Liturgy of the Hours Supplement'' (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, pp. 17–18.] only to find out that the people there were already practicing Korean Catholics.
Born of
Yangban, Kim's parents were converts and his father was subsequently
martyred for practising Christianity, a prohibited activity in heavily
Confucian Korea. After being baptized at age 15, Kim studied at a seminary in the
Portuguese colony
The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...
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. He then returned to Korea to preach and evangelize. During the
Joseon Dynasty, Christianity was suppressed and many Christians were persecuted and executed. Catholics had to practise their faith covertly. 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. His last words were:
Before Ferréol, the first bishop of Korea, died from exhaustion on 3 February 1853, he wanted to be buried beside 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 6 May 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized Kim along with 102 other Korean Martyrs, including ]Paul Chong Hasang
Paul Chong Hasang (1794 or 1795–September 22, 1839) was one of the Korean Martyrs. His feast day is September 22, and he is also venerated along with the rest of the 103 Korean martyrs on September 20.
Life and career
He was the son of the ...
, during his trip to Korea. The feast day of Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and companions is celebrated on 20 September.
See also
* Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim
The Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon ( ko, 성 김대건 안드레아 성당), is a Roman Catholic church in Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines. The patron saint of the church is the first Korean priest and martyr Andrew Kim Taegon.
History
The Par ...
References
Bibliography
"The Lives of the 103 Korean Martyr Saints (2): St. Kim Tae-gon Andrew
" ''Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea Newsletter'' No. 27 (Summer 1999).
External links
Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and CompanionsSaint Kim Dae-gŏn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Tae-gon
1821 births
1846 deaths
Expatriates in Macau
Korean expatriates in China
Korean Roman Catholic priests
Korean Roman Catholic saints
Martyred Roman Catholic priests
19th-century Roman Catholic martyrs
19th-century Christian saints
19th-century executions by Korea
Executed Korean people
People executed by Korea by decapitation
Christian martyrs executed by decapitation
People from Dangjin
Gimhae Kim clan
19th-century Roman Catholic priests
Joseon Christians