September 20 | Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine living in a country completely sealed off from the outside world, a place where simply reading a foreign book or holding a different belief could cost you your life. There are no official leaders, no grand buildings, and no one coming to save you.

But instead of fading away into the shadows, your secret community actually grows. It is fueled by nothing but whispered Prayers in the dead of night, hidden books passed from hand to hand, and unimaginable bravery. Today, we aren't just talking about one single person. We're talking about an entire underground network of everyday people. We're talking about teenagers, parents, and lay leaders who quite literally changed history. We're going back to 18th and 19th century Korea to meet Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Ha-sung, and their incredible companions.

The story of the Catholic Church in Korea is totally unique because it didn't enter the country through foreign missionaries preaching loudly in public squares. Instead, it actually started in the late 18th century with a group of curious, knowledge-hungry scholars who discovered smuggled Christian writings brought over from China. Without any priests to guide them, these early believers began practicing the faith the absolute best they could. They formed a tight-knit, secret community completely rooted in intense study, dedicated prayer, and mutual support.

This is one of the most remarkable and fascinating developments in the entire history of the Church. It was a community born entirely from the intellectual curiosity and initiative of everyday lay people who had a fierce willingness to suffer for the truth.

Our first major hero of this movement, Paul Chong Hassan. Born into a Christian family in 1795, Paul grew up in a world of constant danger and suspicion. From a very young age, he intimately knew what it meant to stand up for his beliefs, because he actually watched his own father die as a martyr for the faith. But instead of hiding away in fear, Paul stepped up to the plate. He dedicated his entire life to strengthening the community, and became one of the most vital lay leaders of this underground church.

Because they had no priests of their own, Paul repeatedly made the grueling, incredibly dangerous journey on foot all the way to Beijing, China. He traveled across harsh terrains just to plead with church officials to send missionaries back to Korea. Thanks to his fearless efforts, foreign priests eventually arrived, helping to structure and grow the secret church. Tragically, Paul's incredible bravery led to his capture by the authorities, and he was martyred for his faith in Seoul on September 22, 1839.

Then, there is the legendary Andrew Kim Taegon. Andrew was born in the town of Dangjin in 1821, and he would go on to become the very first native Korean priest. But getting ordained wasn't like just signing up for a normal school. Because Korea was strictly closed off to all foreign influence, Andrew had to make an extraordinary sacrifice. He had to sneak out of his own country in total secrecy. He traveled through dangerous and heavily guarded routes into China just to study for the priesthood.

And after years of rigorous formation, he was finally ordained in 1845. Andrew didn't stay safely in China, though. He sneaked right back into Korea as a priest to serve his scattered, terrified, and persecuted church. His ministry was incredibly intense, though sadly very brief. He worked day and night under the constant, looming threat of arrest by the authorities.

Within just one year of his daring return, at only 25 years old, Andrew was captured, brutally tortured, and executed in Seoul on September 16, 1846. But right up until his last breath, he boldly encouraged his fellow Christians to remain completely faithful, no matter how much they were suffering.

Andrew, Paul, and their wider group of companions, who were everyday lay men and women, catechists, parents, and even children, demonstrated a beautiful, collective witness to the world. Together, they are appropriately the patron saints of Korea, Korean clergy, and crucially, the laity under persecution. They were officially canonized as saints by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984.

And are often depicted with the attributes of traditional Korean dress, the martyr's palm, and the crucifix. Their powerful martyrdom proved something amazing. The church doesn't just rely solely on hierarchy and officials. It can be born, sustained, and completely flourish through the unstoppable faith of the laity, everyday people like you and me. These saints didn't sit around waiting for an adult, a priest, or a teacher to spoon-feed them their faith. They didn't wait to be told what to do. They took the initiative to study and learn it themselves.

This week, take ownership of your own beliefs. Do exactly what they did. Start investigating the truth on your own. Pick up a book about the faith, read a chapter of the Gospels by yourself, or finally research that one tough question you've always had about God. Be a brave scholar of your own faith, just like the incredible founders of the Korean church. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.