Korean laywoman who kept the faith in the persecution of 1839 and was martyred on September 26, 1839.
Life
Columba Kim Hyo-im was born in 1814 and lived as a virgin, wishing to give herself wholly to God. She devoted herself to the life of faith together with her younger sister, Agnes Kim Hyo-ju, and the two sisters were arrested together in the Gihae persecution.
In prison Columba endured many severe punishments, including being burned with heated iron, yet she never gave in. She also boldly protested to the officials over the unjust humiliation she suffered in prison, defending her dignity as a consecrated virgin. After her younger sister Agnes was martyred first on September 3, Columba was beheaded outside Seosomun in Seoul on September 26, 1839.
Spirituality
Columba Kim Hyo-im's spirituality is a purity and courage that guarded to the end the body and heart she had given to God. She bore pain in silence, yet spoke out clearly when human dignity was trampled. Her faith held gentleness and boldness together.
Reflection
Columba Kim endured suffering, yet spoke with courage in the face of injustice. Do I stay silent when someone near me is not treated with respect? Today, ask for a little courage to defend the dignity of someone who is vulnerable.