Monday, September 24, 2012

Tombs of Catholic Martyrs



In the early 17th century Catholic Church was first introduced through religious books from China and was studied among several scholars. But back then any other religions or sciences apart from Confucian were prohibited strictly, there fore more than 10,000 people were executed until freedom of religion was allowed in 1886. It is well known that Korean Catholic Church was not brought in by foreign missionaries but was an unprecedented case and established by volunteer efforts of Korean people. Especially in Jeonju there were lots of believers who moved in order to escape from prosecution and the first martyr of Korea was also from Jeonju province. Jeonju is the first autonomous parish in Korea. A virgin couple in Jeonju were martyred in 1790 when the persecution of Catholics was at its height - they were Jongchol, a son of Ryu Hanggum, and Inugalda (Yuhae, or Sooni), a daughter of Lee Yunha. Ryu Jongchol was strangled to death at the Jeonju prison in the 2nd year of King Sunjo (1802). His wife, Inugalda, was sentenced to be a government slave at Byokdong (present Byokdonggun Pyongbuk) 4 days after her husband's strangulation in the prison. Immediately after that, she was transferred to a place of execution and was executed there. In 1337, Father ku Marciano moved from Isu to Chimyongjasan (Sungamsan or Jung Baui) the corpses of the virgin couple, along with those of Shinhee, wife of Ryu Hanggum, Lee Yukhee, wife of Ryu Gwangum, Ryu Joongsung (Gangju Doryong), first nephew of Ryu Hnggum, and Moonchol, younger brother of Ryu Jongchol, and erected a big crossat the site, thereby praising their pious religion. Jeonju Parish fixed it, erecting a sacrifice stone board, and building a cathedral in the basement.

No comments:

Post a Comment