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Saint
Andrew Kim Kaegön
Korean nobility; his parents were converts, his father a martyr. Andrew
was baptized at age 15, then traveled 1,300 miles to the nearest seminary
in Macao. Korea's first native priest, and the first priest to die for the
faith in Korea. Leader of the Martyrs of Korea.
Saint Paul Chong Hasang
Son of Yak Jong Church who was martyred in 1801 in the persecution of
Shin-Yu, an attack on the faith that killed all the clergy in the country.
Son of Saint Yu Cecilia; brother of Saint Jung Hye. Paul, though a layman,
reunited the scattered Christians, and encouraged them to keep their faith
and live their faith. Wrote the Sang-Je-Sang-Su which explained to the
Korean government why the Church was no threat to them. He crossed into
China nine times, working as a servant to the Korean diplomatic corps.
Once he was there, he worked to get the bishop of Beijing to send more
priests to Korea. He pleaded directly to Rome for help, and on 9 September
1831, Pope Gregory X proclaimed the validity of the Korean Catholic
diocese. When the clergy began to return, Paul entered the seminary.
However, he died in the Gi Hye persecution of 1839 before he could be
ordained. One of the great founders of the Catholic Church in Korea.
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