DuringtheChosonDynastyandthepromotionofConfucianism,theplaceofwomeninKoreansocietytookastepbackwardsbecauseofthefeudalpatriarchalsocietythatwasusheredin.Ofcourse,thisdidnotaffecttheupperclassasitdidtheordinaryandlowerclassmembersofsociety.CatholicteachingthatweareallequalandmadeintheimageofGodwasabigblowto the moresofsociety, andgavewomena reason for self-esteem.
Catholicismgavewomenofthattimethevaluesforlivingafulllife, andenablingthemtoembracethenewfaithandevengivetheirlivesforwhattheybelieved.Columbawasaleaderofthesewomen.Despitethelimitationsofthesociety,shebecameazealousleader,andpracticedwhatshebelievedwithsacrificeinsearchof the Gospellife.BecauseofheractivitybeforethefirstpriestChuMun-mo(James)enteredthecountryfromChina,therewerealready4,000Catholicsin1794.Justbeforethepersecutionof1801therewereover10,000Catholics,andthelargenumberofwomenisattributedtotheworkofColumba.Eventheroyalcourtwasfamiliarwithherwork. BeforesheenteredtheChurchlittlewasknownaboutherlife.Shewasthedaughterofaconcubine in anoblefamilyinNaepoChungcheong-do.Shewaswell-educatedandconsideredbyherpeersasawomanofwisdomandvirtue.Shebecamethesecondwifeofamanwhowasverymediocreanddidnothaveaveryhappylife.Shewantedtoreturntotheworld.ItwasatthistimethatshereadsomebooksaboutCatholicismandbegantoinstructherfamilyandneighbors.Herhusbandwasn'tinterestedandbegantoharassherandlatertookaconcubineandseparatedfromColumba.ShemovedfromNaepowithhermother-in-lawandherstepsonandbegantoworkfull-timewithspreadingthefaith.In1795,ratherlate,shewasbaptizedbyFr.Chuandwasimmediatelymadethewomencatechist. She hidFr.Chuinherhouse,anditbecamethemeetingplacefortheChristians.Acustomofthetimeswasthatthegovernmentofficialswerenotallowedtoenterthehousesofthenobleclasstosearch.ShebroughtmanyfromthelowerclassesofsocietyintotheChurchandalsomembersofthenobilityandthegrandfatherofafuturekingofthecountry.Shemadenodistinctionsbetweenthehighandlow.OnApril6thof1801,shewasarrestedinherhouseanddraggedtothepolicestation.Thepolicetriedonsixdifferentoccasionswithseveretorturewithoutanyresults to find the Chinese priest's location.Whileinprison,shecontinuedtostudyherfaithandstrengthenedthosewhowereconfinedwithher.OnJuly2nd,shewasmartyred.
WithouttheeffortsofColumbawouldtheresults in theChosonDynastyhavebeenpossible?TheworkofColumbamadeitpossibletoentertheordinaryandlowersegmentsofsociety.According
toArnoldToynbee:"Allactsofsocialcreationaretheworkofeitheranindividualcreatoror,atmost,ofcreativeminorities." Columbawasofthenobleclass,thedaughterofaconcubine,awoman,wholivedasthesecondwife of an abusive husband, makesherlifeallthatmoreglorious.
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