Father Mary Joseph Han – Rector of International Shrine of Haemi Martyrs (SOUTH KOREA)

South Korea has been chosen as the esteemed host for World Youth
Day 2027. The International Shrine of Haemi Martyrs, at just 4 years
old, is fervently laying its foundations to embrace the Pilgrims of Ho
pe in 2025 and the participants of World Youth Day in 2027.
It is young not only in its status as an international shrine bu
t also in its core identity as a shrine. This brief history is due to
the comparatively recent timeline of the Catholic Church in Korea. It
was not until 1784 that the first baptized Catholic believer appeared
in Korea.
These dedicated individuals, who embraced Christianity without m
issionaries’ guidance, maintained their commitment, even when confront
ed with the immense challenge of mortality. The history of the Korean
church is a history of martyrdom. The Haemi Shrine eloquently embodies
this divine tale of the Korean Church, resonating with God’s grand ac
t of self-revelation.
The hallowed grounds of Haemi serve as the resting place for mar
tyrs who were executed. The horrors and martyrdoms stemming from the 1
868(Thousands were martyred) were unmatched in their cruelty and scale,
closely linked with the origin of the Haemi Shrine. The Catholic idea
of equality was unacceptable in a Confucian society with a strict hie
rarchy.
Rosaries were excavated from most of the graves of martyrs. It c
an be said that most of the martyrs in Haemi prayed the rosary while w
aiting for martyrdom. In this way, during the persecution when it was
not east to get Bible, devotion to the Virgin Mary and the rosary were
important parts of the prayer life of the martyrs. Therefore, I’d like
to participate on World Rosary Day on the 7th of October 2024, while
remembering the martyrs.
website
https://www.haemi.or.kr
Photo1: International Shrine of Haemi Martyrs
Photo2: Jindongbeong – a pond where martyrs were buried alive.