The first Korean priest, ordained in 1845, who returned home to serve and was martyred at Saenamteo on September 16, 1846, at age 25. Patron of Korean clergy.
Life
Andrew Kim Tae-gon was born in 1821 at Solmoe in Chungcheong Province (today Dangjin), into a family that had kept the faith for generations. His father, Ignatius Kim Je-jun, was martyred in the persecution of 1839.
In 1836 Fr. Maubant chose him as a seminarian, and with Thomas Choe Yang-eop and Francis Choe Bang-je he went to study in Macau. After long years of study and several attempts to return home, he was ordained by Bishop Ferréol near Shanghai in August 1845, becoming the first Korean priest.
That autumn he brought Bishop Ferréol and Fr. Daveluy back to Korea in a small boat and began serving the faithful. The next year, while opening a sea route for missionaries, he was arrested. From prison he wrote to the faithful, urging them to love one another and stay firm. He was martyred at Saenamteo by the Han River on September 16, 1846, at the age of 25.
Spirituality
Fr. Andrew Kim’s spirituality is the love of a shepherd. Thinking of the faithful who had no priest and no sacraments, he set out again and again on dangerous sea journeys.
His last letter is filled not with fear but with care and faith for his community. His plea not to abandon one another and to trust in God shows that faith is something we keep together, not alone.
Reflection
His life lasted only twenty-five years, yet Fr. Andrew Kim loved the flock entrusted to him to the end. Who has been entrusted to me today? Bring to mind the people in your family, parish and workplace, and ask for the strength to carry even small burdens for them gladly.