Martyr Patrick Reilly Priest Martyrdom Shrine

History & origins

Fr. Patrick Reilly was ordained a priest on December 21, 1940, and arrived in Korea in 1948. After serving at Wonju Parish, he was appointed pastor of Mukho Parish in 1949. When the Korean War broke out, parishioners arranged a boat and urged him to evacuate, but he made clear that he could not abandon the faithful and leave alone.

As the military situation worsened, he hid in the home of a lay catechist in Manuri and celebrated Mass whenever circumstances allowed. He was later betrayed, arrested together with the catechist, and transferred with other prisoners toward Gangneung. On August 29, 1950, he was shot to death at Bamjaegol in Okgye-myeon. Local residents temporarily buried his body nearby, and on October 10, 1951, his remains were moved to the clergy cemetery at Jukrim-dong in Chuncheon, where a funeral Mass was celebrated.

The faithful of Mukho Parish erected a memorial monument at Bamjaegol and continued walking pilgrimages in order to preserve the memory of his martyrdom. Because the earlier memorial area lay close to an entrance of the Yeongdong railway tunnel and raised safety concerns, the Diocese of Chuncheon prepared a new pilgrimage site in Nakpung-ri, Okgye-myeon, in 2021. This development shows how the Church has sought both to preserve the historical memory of the martyrdom and to provide a safe place where pilgrims can remember and pray.