Chungju Forest Street Martyrdom Shrine

Overview

The Chungju Supgeori Martyrs’ Shrine is a shrine of the Catholic Diocese of Cheongju located in the border area of Munhwa-dong and Bongbang-dong in Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, on the site of a former execution ground where believers arrested after the Shinyu Persecution (1801) were martyred by beheading or by beheading with exposure of the head at the military gate. The Diocese of Cheongju promulgated a diocesan decree on November 29, 2020, proclaiming it a shrine, and Munhwa-dong Parish in Chungju has jurisdiction over it.

History

〔Location and character of Supgeori〕 The Diocese of Cheongju explains that Chungju Supgeori was a thicket area extending from the present border area of Munhwa-dong and Bongbang-dong, past Muhakdang, the Joseon-period military training command post, to the banks of the Chungjucheon Stream. From the early Joseon period it was a military training ground and was used as a representative execution ground in Chungju.

〔History of the martyrdoms〕 After the Shinyu Persecution of 1801, while persecution continued, Supgeori became a place of martyrdom for Catholic believers brought under arrest from various places. As believers were transferred here under guard, they suffered every kind of humiliation or were beaten in turn, and suffered beheading or beheading with exposure of the head at the military gate. Yi Gi-yeon (1739–1802), called the Apostle of Chungju, was the first to accept the Catholic faith and spread it widely in the Chungju and Yeonpung areas, and at the time of the Shinyu Persecution he was arrested and martyred here by beheading. Yi Bu-chun (1735–1801), formerly a local government clerk in Chungju, and the widow Gwon Agi-ryeon also converted and lived a life of faith, but were dragged to Supgeori and martyred. Among the Supgeori martyrs, the Catholic Church in Korea is pursuing the beatification of Yi Gi-yeon, Yi Bu-chun, and Gwon Agi-ryeon.

〔Proclamation as a shrine〕 According to the Catholic Times, the Diocese of Cheongju promulgated a diocesan decree on November 29, 2020, proclaiming Bongam in Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do (Bangchuggol, the Gyemadae Catholic village) and the Chungju Supgeori Martyrs’ Shrine as shrines. It reported that the Supgeori Shrine is under the jurisdiction of Munhwa-dong Parish in Chungju and is located at 552 Munhwa-dong (the area from Munhwa-dong 544 to Bongbang-dong 11-1).

Related places and people

• Eumseong Bongam (Bangchuggol, Gyemadae Catholic village) Shrine: the Diocese of Cheongju proclaimed it a shrine on the same day (November 29, 2020) (Catholic Times).
• Chungju Munhwa-dong Church: the parish that has jurisdiction over the Supgeori Shrine (Catholic Times).

References and sources

1. Catholic Diocese of Cheongju, “Chungju Supgeori Martyrs’ Shrine”. Location and character, martyrdom after the Shinyu Persecution, Yi Gi-yeon, Yi Bu-chun, Gwon Agi-ryeon and the promotion of beatification.
   https://www.cdcj.or.kr/parish/holyland/8
2. Catholic Times, “Diocese of Cheongju proclaims ‘Bongam’ in Eumseong, Chungbuk and ‘Supgeori’ in Chungju as shrines” (2020.12.1). Proclamation of shrines on November 29, 2020 and the parish having jurisdiction.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/202012010030998