Korea Autumn Pilgrimage Tours aim to heighten spirituality

Published August 14, 2014 8:46pm

Father Camillus Lim, founder of Gamgok Maegoe Virgin Mary Cathedral.

Pope Francis’s apostolic voyage to South Korea will be the first papal visit to Asia in just over a decade. The Holy Father is scheduled to be in the country from August 14 to 18 to attend the sixth Asian Youth Day and to beatify 124 Korean martyrs who were among 10,000 mostly lay Catholics killed in successive waves of persecution in 19th-century, Confucian-dominated Korea.

Currently, Korea has the fourth largest number of saints in the Catholic world.

“There are many Catholic shrines and churches in Korea where miracles are said to have happened,” said Mr. Sangyong Zhu, Director of the Korean Tourism Organization in Manila. “People come to these holy places to be blessed and healed by the Holy Spirit and to learn about the struggles of establishing the Catholic Church in a land once dominated by Confucianism.”

Among the well-known Catholic shrines in Korea are:

Gamgok Maegoe Virgin Mary Cathedral. It was established in 1896 in Chungcheongbukdo Province and is considered the Lourdes of Korea because miracles by the Virgin Mary are said to take place continuously. One of 5 most famous occurred during the Korean War in 1950. A northern soldier shot the statue of Our Blessed Mother of Maegoe seven times. Yet, it remained undamaged. Today, the statue still stands bearing the 7 marks of the bullets.

Statue of Virgin Mary with seven marks of the bullets,

Solmoe Shrine. One of Pope Francis’s stops in Korea, this shrine is the birthplace of St. Andrew Father Kim Dae Geun, the first priest in Korea who was born in 1821 and ordained at the age of 25 in China. His birth house has been restored and stands at the entrance of the shrine, while his statue is located on the hillside surrounded by the pine tree forests. His remains and relics are displayed in the exhibition hall. The shrine honors the priest’s family, particularly his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, all of whom were martyred for their faith.

Haemi Martyr’s Shrine. Also to be visited by Pope Francis, the shrine depicts the severity and brutality of religious persecution at the end of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Thousands of unknown Catholics were buried alive by being pushed into puddles and holes or executed by hanging, beheading, and beating, among others.

A pilgrimage tour to Korea is spiritual and eye-opening, a reminder of what early Catholics went through to practice their faith. You’ll also get to see many relics and items related to the history of Catholicism in Korea.

For more details and queries, you may contact KTO Manila Office at 02 880 0312~0313 or through email ktomanila@gmail.com.

Press release from KTO Manila

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