Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-I
Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i (Korean: 권진이 아가타; born c. 1790; died May 24, 1801) was a Korean Catholic laywoman and martyr who was executed during the Sinyu Persecution of 1801 — one of the most devastating waves of anti-Christian violence in Korean history. She is one of the 103 Korean Martyrs, canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984, during his historic first visit to Korea. Their feast day is September 20.
The Sinyu Persecution (辛酉迫害) of 1801 was a systematic campaign by the Joseon royal court, dominated by anti-Catholic Confucian officials, to suppress the growing Catholic community in Korea. Hundreds of Catholics were killed, including both Korean-born catechists and converts. Agatha Kwon Chin-i was among those arrested and executed for her Catholic faith. She was beheaded in 1801 at a young age.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-I
| Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-I | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 20 |
| Profession | Catholic laywoman; catechist |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Patronage | Korea; Korean Catholics; martyrs |
| Attributes | Palm branch of martyrdom; traditional Korean dress (hanbok) |
| Birthplace | Joseon Dynasty Korea (present-day South Korea) |
| Death Place | Seoul (Hanyang), Joseon Dynasty Korea (present-day South Korea) |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom — beheaded during the Sinyu Persecution of 1801 |
| Primary Shrine | Jeoldusan Martyrs Shrine, Seoul; Haemi Martyrs Castle, South Chungcheong Province |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Korean Martyrs; South Korea) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth
Agatha Kwon Chin-i was born around 1790 in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. She received baptism and the name Agatha, becoming part of the remarkable Catholic lay community that had grown in Korea from the late eighteenth century — a community that had no ordained priests for many years and was sustained entirely by lay catechists and leaders.
Early Life
The Catholic faith had been introduced to Korea through intellectual contact with Western Jesuit writings and through Korean envoys to Beijing who encountered the Church there. By the late eighteenth century, there was a substantial lay Catholic community in Korea, but also intense opposition from the Confucian governing class, who saw Catholicism as subversive of the ancestral ritual system.
Occupation
Agatha Kwon Chin-i lived as a Catholic laywoman in the Joseon Dynasty, practicing her faith in secret along with the wider Korean Catholic community, which was subject to periodic persecution.
Vocation
Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i's vocation was that of a lay Catholic woman who maintained her faith despite the threat of death. The Sinyu Persecution of 1801 killed approximately 300 Catholics.
Death
Agatha Kwon Chin-i was arrested during the Sinyu Persecution and beheaded on May 24, 1801, in Seoul (then Hanyang). She was a young woman at the time of her martyrdom.
Significant events
- Born c. 1790 in Joseon Dynasty Korea.
- Baptized Catholic with the name Agatha.
- Arrested during the Sinyu Persecution of 1801.
- Beheaded May 24, 1801 in Seoul.
- Beatified October 6, 1968 by Pope Paul VI.
- Canonized May 6, 1984 by Pope John Paul II in Seoul.
- Feast day: September 20 (feast of the Korean Martyrs).
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Joseon Dynasty Korea (present-day South Korea)
Death location: Seoul (Hanyang), Joseon Dynasty Korea (present-day South Korea)
Notable location: Site of her martyrdom (Seoul, South Korea)
Notable location: Principal shrine of the Korean Martyrs in Seoul (Korean Martyrs Shrine, Jeoldusan (Beheading Hill), Seoul, South Korea)
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i have been added to the database yet.
Media
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Shrines
Dynamic shrines
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List of shrines
- Jeoldusan Martyrs Shrine (Beheading Hill), Seoul, South Korea — principal shrine of the Korean Martyrs in Seoul.
- Haemi Martyrs Castle, Haemi, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea — major Korean Martyrs pilgrimage site.
Canonization
Servant of God
Cause introduced in the twentieth century.
Venerable
Declared Venerable before beatification.
Beatification
Beatified October 6, 1968 by Pope Paul VI.
Canonization
Canonized May 6, 1984 by Pope John Paul II during his first visit to Korea, at Yeouido Square, Seoul.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
Miracles approved for the beatification in 1968.
Miracle for canonization
Miracles approved for the canonization in 1984.
Patronage
Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i is venerated as one of the patron martyrs of Korea and the Korean Catholic Church.
Feast day
September 20 (feast of the Korean Martyrs)
Veneration
Saint Agatha Kwon Chin-i is venerated throughout South Korea and in the worldwide Catholic Church as one of the 103 Korean Martyrs — the first Koreans to be canonized by the Church.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.
External links
- Catholic Saints Info — search for Agatha Kwon Chin-i
- Catholic Online — search for Agatha Kwon Chin-i
References
- Dallet, Charles. Histoire de l'Église de Corée. Paris, 1874.
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 1984 (canonization decree).