13 Oct

2019

A Pilgrimage to the Korean Martyrs

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After the conclusion of a recent conference in Seoul I had a fortunate if brief opportunity of making a pilgrimage to some of the sites of martyrdom of the Korean saints of the 19th century. The devotion to these saints plays a great role in Korean Catholicism – as does that of the 16th -17th century English martyrs in the Catholic Church in England. And these martyrs are not just known to the Catholic population. Official guides to the city of Seoul prominently feature several pilgrimages to the shrines of the martyrs and they are recognized as national historic sites.

Seoul is a massive, ultra modern, somewhat intimidating metropolis with a transportation infrastructure that we in New York can only dream of.
Yet the city is strewn with hidden relics of the past, often in a beautiful natural setting (here, 15th and 16th century royal tombs in the midst of one of the city’s main business districts)

The Catholic church of Korea has the perhaps unique distinction of being founded by laymen and women. They had heard of Christianity from literature coming from China and an active Catholic community was flourishing decades before any regular presence of Catholic priests in the country. Soon, however, fierce official resistance developed. From 1791 till the end of the 19th century, some 10,000 Catholics were martyred in Korea. 103 of these martyrs were canonized in 1984; a further 124 were beatified in 2014.

A lengthy subway ride from the central business areas brings us to the Jeoldusan martyrs shrine. Here some 29 martyrs were beheaded in 1866 (Jeoldusan mens “beheading hill”). As is often the case in Korea, the modern Catholic artwork is of indifferent quality and the church of the martyrs itself is uninspiring. Yet there is a remarkable museum with documents and relics of those days. And the shrine is set in a park conducive to meditation.

(Above and below) Shrines in Korea are often surrounded by carefully planned parks providing a setting for popular devotions.
(Above and below) statues of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first native Korean priest, a the Jeoldusan shrine. He was martyred in an earlier persecution in 1846.
Another modern monument to the martyrs.
(Above and below) Next to the Jeoldusan shrine is an atmospheric cemetery. Beginning in the the late 19th century, it was the final resting place primarily for foreign Protestant missionaries. Nowadays Protestants outnumber Catholics in Korea.

(Above) A second site of martyrdom is located not too far from the main railroad station. Subsequent to the time of the martyrdoms, Yakhyeon church, the oldest Catholic church building in Korea, was erected here in 1892. The architect was a French missionary.

(Above and below) The 1892 church was designed by a French missionary priest, who was also the architect of Seoul cathedral built shortly thereafter.
Near Yahkyeon church is the Seosomun historical park and Catholic martyrs’ shrine where many died.
Nearby is another monument to the martyrs.

Myeong-dong cathedral is located in a downtown shopping district and was the first parish church in Korea. The present building was consecrated in 1898. In 1900 the relics of martyrs killed in the persecutions of 1839 and 1866 were moved here. Like the previous two churches the cathedral is built on a hill.

(Above) The cathedral features colorful brickwork.
The photo is deceiving – the Korean shrines and their surrounding gardens that I visited were frequented by many faithful.

Published in Essays, Photos