Finding a Martyr Saint

The discovery of a shallow grave from the 1866 persecution period by an American priest in July 1980, led to the recent dedication of a church in the memory of Saint Luke Sokdu Hwang in May 2009. The saint is one of Korea's 103 martyr saints most who's last resting place are unknown.

Maryknoll Father Robert M. Lilly, former pastor of Su An Bo Church area where the grave was located, placed a relic of the martyr in the new church in Cheong Ju diocese. "I was fortunate to find the ancestral burial ground of the Hwang family in a mission station of my parish," he said. " My desire to find out more about his role in the growth of the Catholic Church in Korea evolved from that discovery."

Luke Sokdu Hwang was martyred with four companions at Kalmaemot on the west coast of Korea in March 1866. Childless, he had adopted his nephew, son of an older brother, some years earlier. At the time of martyrdom, the adoptee no doubt had heard the news,
but waited two months before going to the site. Then secretly at night he retrieved the body and carried it home. Other members of the family had already fled and dispersed in every direction. Only another nephew, Andrea Hwang and the martyr's adopted son John remained to bury the corpse in a temporary grave. They observed that the body still seemed supple and life like in appearance. They then took leave of the village where a number of the family had lived prior to the last great persecution.

Andrew Hwang was martyred that same year in Seoul, while John Hwang underwent the same fate in Seoul In 1867. Previous to that, John Hwang had transferred the remains of Luke Sokdu Hwang, his adoptive parent, to their ancestral roots in Pyeong Pang Kol in north Chung Cheong province. There, one hundred and fourteen years later, on July 9th 1980, the heretofore unknown grave was opened.

Luke Sokdu Hwang's name was on the list of twenty four candidates beatified by Pope Paul VI in Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, on October 6,1968. Added to the seventy nine already raised to that honor, the total amounted to one hundred and three awaiting canonization. That historic event, conducted by Pope John Paul II, took place in Youido Plaza, Seoul on May 6, 1984.

Meanwhile, through the years local gossip at Pyeong Pang Kol had always rumored that a Christian believer killed for his faith was buried in the mountainside Hwang family grave site. About ten years after the beatification ceremony in Rome and following an extensive search of church and civil records, the quest narrowed.

The grave revealed skeletal remains resting in water only a few feet under the surface. The severed head lay upside down on the chest and the whole scene suggested that the burial had been carried out in a harried and confused fashion, nothing like the usual Korean respect for the dead.

Later , on closer examination at Sou An Bo church the remains showed that the neck had been cut through at the third vertebrae of the spinal column by a blunt instrument, such as a heavy sword, with such force that it had driven the fragmented bone into the skull. The upside down position of the head upon the chest bone would have alerted attention in any subsequent exhumation and the shallowness of a water filled grave again was contrary to rigid Korean custom.

Present through out the procedure were the late Church historian, Father Joseph Kisoun Oh, the Su An Bo pastor, a senior family member and a medical doctor from Saint Mary's hospital in Seoul. The bones remained at Su An Bo for two years before being transferred to Yon Pung martyrs shrine on August 25, 1982, where then retired Korean Archbishop Paul Kinam Ro officiated at the internment ceremony.

Needless to say it had been a long journey for the saint from a mountainside unknown grave to a site of veneration in a beautiful new church of Cheong Ju city and a spiritual trek as well for his persistent companion.

Lastly, it is a fitting postscript to point out that had not the opportunity been seized to seek out and save the relics of a martyr of the Church, a different scenario might have occurred, as it has on many occasions. In the mid nineteen eighties the separate graves of Pyeong Pang village were moved and it became part of a huge public works project, an interchange in the burgeoning Korea superhighway system.

The Catholic Church and the Poor

In the Now Here Catholic New's Site an article asked is the Catholic Church the religion of the elite in our Korean Society?

The point that is being made is the Catholics seem to be gravitating to certain areas where the educational level, the income and place in society is rather high.

One of the graphs showed those over 18 years of age who were graduates of college or junior college: Buddhist 21.7 %, Protestants 34.1%, Catholics 38.0%. In looking over the graph the Catholics are those with the most years of education. The higher numbers of those that have white collar jobs are also the Christians, Catholics and Protestants. The proportion of Buddhists, Confucians and Won Buddhist engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing on the other hand would be noticeably higher.

It seems that from polls of the past it is easily noticed that those who have a higher educational background are also those who have adapted to the modern life style. This is also becoming true of the Won Buddhists.

The conclusion is one that I have seen expressed over the years by many who have seen the growth of the Catholic Church. The Catholics were the poor but knew they were part of the community and were proud of their role. In certain areas this is no longer true. Also the young people who are not college or junior college students may not feel welcomed in the youth groups.


I have heard it said over the years that some of the poorer Christians do not feel comfortable in a Church were all are better educated and have a better life style. This problem is not easily solved and it may be the reason the poor and uneducated no longer find the Catholic Church as welcoming as in the past.

I Thirst

From In His Own Words, Fr. John Cioppa Maryknoller in Hong Kong.

Two small words . Simple and plain. But we remember them as two of the last words spoken by Jesus just before the end. Like all religious people we have a deep interest in reflecting and examining the last words of a person before he dies.We do that with our parents, we do it with our friends.We value those words and we wonder what they mean. For Jesus these two words become a key to knowing him and understanding His heart. We look at them not just as an indication of His physical need for water, but as a gateway through which we begin to understand who He is and who we are.

Long before Jesus spoke them and the Gospel writers recorded them, we find these words in the Psalms as a cry of anguish and distress poured out by the Jewish people to their God:

O God you are my God whom I seek;
For you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts,
Like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. (Ps63:1)

Jesus knew these words and understood their deeper meaning. True, His body needed water, but even more His soul needed the consolation and peace of His Father. Those two words spoken by Jesus reflect the thirst that exists in all of us as we struggle to find the true fountain of life and peace and true meaning. These two words reflect the deepest desire of our hearts. Knowingly or unknowingly we thirst for the Father just like Jesus. We look everywhere and try everything to find water that can slake our thirst. Then we drink only to find that the water is bitter and poisoned and our thirst continues.

On the first Friday of each month we honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus and reflect on the words, "I thirst" as spoken by Jesus on the Cross and experienced by each of us in our hearts. The Gospels record that after Jesus died, soldiers pierced his side, and blood and water poured out from His Sacred Heart. As we go through life and try many different waters to satisfy our thirst, hopefully one day we will try this sacred water and find that it is not only sweet, but is the only true water that can bring true meaning, peace and joy to our hearts.

Background to the Faith in Korea Part II

Continued from previous blog.

Bishop Blanc, who succeeded Bishop Felix Ridel as seventh Apostolic Vicar in 1884, assembled the first open synod and published a Directorium Commune or "Rule book of the Korean Church". It was based on records made by Father Ridel of resolutions passed at a conference of priests held from 1868 to 1874 in Chakou, Liaotung, a province of Manchuria (Northeast China) contiguous to Korea. The Bishop's directives guided mission work until revision forty-five years later.

Paris based French missionaries devised a system of registration to keep tabs on who were active and practicing Catholics. It mirrored civil regulations and gave a sense of urgency to being listed as a parish member in good standing. Twice a year the pastor gave an oral exam on prayers and doctrine after which he gave a ticket to be handed in at confession and recorded in the parish registry. The obligation included all from First Communicants to the elderly.

A seminary was established in 1885 with the first ten priests ordained in 1896. The Church started welfare work with a lay run orphanage in 1885 and an old folks home soon after. French Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartes arrived from Saigon in 1888. German Benedictine Fathers and Brothers of the Congregation of Saint Ottilien came to Seoul in 1909 and soon established a presence at Wonsan in present North Korea.

Suffering for the Church was far from over with the end of the Great Persecution(1866-'72). It continued with Japan's hegemony over East Asia beginning as early as 1904 but especially during the whole period of the occupation of Korea (1910-'45) in the form of Japanese hostility to Christianity and opposition to the role of foreign missionaries.

Following World War I which cost a heavy loss of personnel in European missionary institutes, the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda in 1922 thought to increase the number of apostolic works in Korea. Maryknoll consented to assume responsibility for the territory northwest of Seoul in the two provinces of North Pyong Yang and South Pyong Yang. Father Patrick J Byrne arrived in Seoul, May 10th, 1923 and was joined in the fall by Father John E. Morris and Patrick H. Cleary to make the original mission band. Father Byrne made his headquarters at Sinwiju ten miles distance from Wiju near the mouth of the Yalu river. Maryknoll Sisters arrived in 1924, German Benedictine Sisters came in 1925 and the Columban Fathers arrived in 1933.

The Centennial celebration of the erection of Korea as a Vicariate Apostolic was held September 26, 1931 in Seoul Cathedral. On this occasion, bishops and priests, foreign and Korean, well qualified both in experience and ecclesiastical training gathered in national synod. Archbishop Edward Mooney, Apostolic Delegate to Japan and later Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit, presided. Representing the Pyong Yang prefecture were Monsignor John E. Morris, and Father Patrick Cleary, Dean Chisholm, Walter Coleman and Leo Sweeney.

Not unlike the first assembly, the synod's purpose was to review and improve the regulations of intervening years. The Directorium was updated and revised as a mission-related compendium of theology, cannon law and liturgy. It became standard reference for pastors in legislative and juridical matters concerning spiritual life, social conduct, mission work and the exercise of pastoral authority. Monsignor Morris described it as a code of regulations applying to all areas, which the faithful were encouraged to follow for their salvation. Responding to Pope Pius XI's call for lay participation, the bishops started a movement for collaboration in evangelization and reminded the laity, of their glorious heritage of responsibility for the faith.

When the missionaries were expelled in 1942-'43 the local clergy under Bishop Francis Hong, who was consecrated June 29, 1943, took responsibility for the Church in Pyong Yang Vicariate. The division of Korea in 1945 brought increased difficulties until finally with Bishop Hong's abduction in May 1949 and the arrest of his priests in the following months the Church ceased to exist in the north.

Meanwhile in the south individual Maryknollers had returned and served at various posts in Seoul and vicinity from 1947-'50. Monsignor Patirck J. Byrne, founder of both Korea and Japan regions, returned from Tokyo in 1947 as Visitator Apostolic for Korea. He was appointed the first Apostolic Delegate in April 1949 and consecrated bishop on June 14, 1949 in Seoul.

On June 25, 1950 the fratricidal Korean War began. Maryknoll priests in the Republic served as chaplains during the fighting 1950-'53. In June 1950 Bishop Byrne was arrested at Myong Dong Cathedral with Father William R. Booth and endured a "death march" to North Korea where he died November 25, 1950 in a prison hut. In 1951 Father Joseph W. Connors established Choryong parish in Pusan.

Renewed emphasis on evangelization and a Second Spring began with the acceptance of a mission field in the Province of Chung Chong Pukto, in September 1953. Personnel included members from the former mission and newly ordained all serving under the leadership of society superior Father James V.Pardy. He was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Cheong Ju in 1958 and installed as first bishop of the diocese in 1962. The Inchon mission opened in 1958. Father Joseph W. Connors was appointed Vicar Forane with ordinary responsibility for the district and islands. Father Joseph P. Gibbons followed as vicar. In 1961 "Father William J. McNaughton was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Inchon and with establishment of the hierarchy in 1962 became first bishop of Inchon diocese. Parishes were staffed in Pusan, Seoul, Suwon and Masan. Like Pyong Yang (1942) in the north, Cheong Ju (1968) and Inchon (2002) dioceses were turned over to a Korean Ordinary.

Background to the Faith in Korea Part I

We have many histories of the Catholic Church in Korea but only one concerning the work of Maryknoll which Fr. Robert M. Lilly spent many years compiling. It is the history of the Korea Region from 1942 to 2002 Mission in the South. I will take sections from the preface and prologue which will give a brief overview of the early history of the Catholic Church of Korea.


Taken from the Preface

Mission history usually embraces wide vistas and a broad theme with incisive and penetrating descriptions of personalities and events- a collection of tales that help explain and reflect an era. For those expecting something of the same I can only offer an apology for a poor attempt in that direction.

The whole Korea mission north and south, has been an ongoing entity for some eighty years. nothing would do it less justice than a single overview. Instead, this is only an attempt to lay the foundation for a history of Maryknoll in the South. It is a bric-brac of names, places and dates- with an occasional vignette to underscore a point- but on the whole a telephone book of collected date.

Prologue
Background to the Faith

The Korean Church is justifiably proud in being the only one not started by foreign missionaries. In the 17th century when intellectuals increasingly questioned the suffocating confines of Confucian society they came across the writings of Matteo Ricci in China. At first Christianity's philosophy and practical aspects for solving social problems was the main attraction. "Gradually though the scholars were captivated by the beauty of the content. "

Korea as a vassal state of China sent royal envoys and yearly tribute to Peking. Those diplomats knew Chinese because it was the language of the educated class. Except for the royal convoys no one could enter or leave the hermit kingdom. Books were brought back and studied and in time a select few under the leadership of Lee Byok came to understand and appreciate the Christian religion. Finally in 1784 one member of the winter convoy was encouraged to seek baptism.

Yi Sung -hun christened Peter returned and baptized others . The number of believers increased. Soon they began to appoint their own "priests" to offer Sunday Mass and administer sacraments. Realizing their mistake they stopped the practice and sent a request for priests to the bishop of Peking. In March 1785 the young community was detected and the first martyrs gave their lives in 1791. This was the first in a serious of persecutions lasting for over one hundred years.

Father James Chu Mun-mo a Chinese priest, entered Korea ten years after the first baptism. When he assumed pastoral direction of the faithful in 1794 Catholics already exceeded four thousand in number. In 1801 seven years after arrival, Father Chu was martyred and the flock was without a shepherd for thirty-three years. Though deprived of Mass and the sacraments they encouraged each other in the faith and continued sending emissaries to Peking with requests for priests. Paul Chong Ha-sang later canonized with Father Andrew Kim Tae-gon as a proto-martyr of the Korean saints, made nine trips to China pleading for clergy but the Church beset by persecution was unable to send anyone.

Rome prevailed upon the "Societe des Missions-Etrangeres de Paris" to take the Korea mission despite the congregation's shortage of priests and funds. Three missionaries, two priests and a bishop, arrived separately in the years 1836 through 1838. They were martyred in 1839. Another French bishop already had died on the China-Korea border waiting for an opportunity to enter the country.

Father Andre Kim ordained in Shanghai, China on August 17, 1844 was the first Korean priest. He was martyred at Saenamto, Seoul on September 15, 1846. Intense persecution continued but the laity fearlessly spread the faith and one by one French missionaries slipped into Korea. Of the twelve present in 1866, nine were martyred and three escaped to China. In the following years repeated attempts to enter the country failed. In 1876 two priests, Fathers Jean |Gustave Blanc and Victor Deguette, entered Seoul in disguise and for the first time since the persecution in 1866, the Church had priests.

Imposition of trade treaties forced an opening to the West. Persecution ceased and Catholics began to enjoy full liberty. When freedom of religious practice was decreed in a treaty with France in 1886 there were five priests and 12,500 baptized members. To continue in the next blog.

Community as Vehicle for Teaching

Over the years I have attended many workshops and seminars that Maryknoll has sponsored for the energizing and renewal of the men. One seminar that I attended, many years ago, left its mark on me. We were asked to bring what we were using for catechetical instruction in each of the countries in which we work. I did my homework and filled a traveling bag.

The seminar was not more than a few hours old when I realized that my bag would remain closed. They were talking about catechetics but not the kind I had in my bag. They are part of the teaching process but not the one that was being treated in that particular seminar.

Catechetics in the words of those attending the Seminar "was found to embrace the total process of discovering, developing and living Christian values and convictions". The Church, the living Christian Community, is the essential vehicle of catecheses; catechetical programs, with their personnel, aids and facilities are instruments of the Christian Community in this task.

Can we say that community is alive and well in the Church? Community requires cooperation: to have a catechetical meaning it has to be evident and central to the apostolate. We have prayed, played, celebrated and met together but worked together? From my experience it is this working cooperation that becomes a behaviorally induced form of catecheses and the one that makes the the biggest impression on those concerned.

This morning the small community here in the mission station, at the recommendation of the catechist, came to do some weeding and work in the rock garden. They began about 5:30 am before the sun came up and worked to about 8:00 am finishing with breakfast. They returned to their homes by 9:00 am. This working together has a dynamic that is different from the other types of being together. It is not only manual work but any type of working together. It is non- threatening, it gives the Christians time to talk with each other without a need to talk. It has a target they work to accomplish, find satisfaction in doing something that is bigger than their own needs; the by product is that the community becomes stronger, and the Spirit has plenty of time to work with us as a community.

We hear today of behavioral and affective approaches to belief. It has become very obvious that in many of the works of the Church we have limited ourselves to the cognitive so that those who have been exposed to the Christianizing process have everything but the heart for the work. The differences of Catholics to others in behavior is very little. This makes many think long and hard on what we are doing in preparing our Christians. We can not ignore the feelings of people and think we are reaching the whole person. It is in community that we can best reach the whole human person and it is only a community behaving like a community that is a vehicle of catecheses. If we forget this, we will continue to do a good job imparting knowledge, but do little to move the heart.

Does God Love You?

From our fellow Maryknoller in Hong Kong John Cioppa, In His Own Words.

Do you love yourself? You may not, but God does. When you look into the mirror, do you like the person you see? Do you feel that the "You" ...is OK? God thinks so. Do you believe you are a good loveable person? God does!


Recently I have been thinking, we have been teaching doctrine backwards. Even we priests in preaching have often emphasized the wrong thing.We have been telling people they are bad, unworthy, sinners, unloveable, soiled, imperfect, and no good. We have been telling them they have to do lot of things to make God love them. They have to work hard , say a lot of prayers, do a lot of penance, beat their breasts and thenㅡand only thenㅡ, maybe God might like them. We have made life and religion a terrible burden for people, and I think God is unhappy about that. God wants to share His love with people and we have created obstacles instead of helping them come closer to Him.


God doesn't love us because we are good.God loves us and makes us good. I don't know how many times we have heard that God's love is unconditional, unlimited and never changing. I am not sure we believe that. We have created a God that fits our image and have done the same with people.The image we have of ourselves and others may not be what God had in mind.


In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we read that God made us in His image and likenessㅡmale and female. He made each one of us just like Himself. So we are made to look like God, in this image and likeness. Do you believe that? Now what is your image of God? I think most of us believe God is a wonderful, loving, caring merciful, sensitive, compassionate person.We have been taught that and have often experienced God's love and care in our lives.


Now if we are made in the image and likeness of God, we must be like Him. Right? That is, we too must also be wonderful, loving compassionate, caring people.We have been created good, gentle, loveable, people just like God. And that is why God loves us. Not because we have made ourselves good , but because He made us like himself and
therefore loveable, I don't think we believe that.


We keep struggling to do all kinds of things to make ourselves perfect in order that God might like us.May be we are trying too hard. He already likes us. Take a look at Scripture. Who does God love most? Is it the priests of the temple, the doctors of the law, the Scribes or Pharisees who kept the law? These are the people who studied hard, obeyed the law, did all the right things and tried to make themselves good, to make
God like them. But who are the ones that God loves most? Aren't they the poor, the sick, the dumb, those possessed by devils, the prostitutes, the sinners? Aren't these the ones that God loves most?


Incredible? Yes it is, but just believe it. God loves you today just as you are. If you are young or old, a sinner or saint, sick or well. God loves you just the same, just as you are. And you know what? His love doesn't change. It is the same today as it was the day you were born. It is always the most and you cannot do anything to make Him love you more. His love is already the most. How can it be any more!