St. Andrew Kim Taegon
(21 August 1821- 16 September 1846)
St. Andrew Kim Taegon is the first Korean-born Catholic priest and also the patron saint of Korea. He came from Catholic parents who were martyred for practicing Christianity, which was prohibited during Joson Dynasty. Andrew Kim studied at a seminary in Macau. He went to Philippines to study at Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan, where the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon was built in his honor. After being ordained as a priest in 1844 he returned to Korea to preach and evangelize.
He was accused of being a traitor to his country and the leader of sacrilegious cult, he was then sentenced to death and beheaded on Sept1 6, 1846 in Seoul. On 6 May 1984, Kim was canonized by Pope John Paul II along with 102 other Korean Martyrs.
