Hongju Shrine

Overview

The Hongju Martyrs' Shrine is a martyrs' shrine of the Diocese of Daejeon located around Hongju Eupseong in Hongseong-eup, South Chungcheong. Hongju, the old place name for Hongseong, is the place that produced the second largest number of martyrs in Chungcheong Province after Gongju, and six sites inside and outside Hongju Eupseong — the Dongheon magistrate's office, the prison site, the old market street, the beheading site, the live-burial site and others — are handed down as martyrdom sites. The martyrs confirmed by records number 212, and 4 Blesseds are associated with this place.

History

The exact time when Catholicism spread to the Hongseong area is unknown, but Yi Jon-chang Ludovico Gonzaga, who lived in Yeosaul in Yesan, now Sinjong-ri, Sinam-myeon, Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong, founded the ‘Naepo faith community’ between late 1784 and early 1785, and it is believed that the faith was transmitted to the Hongseong area not long afterwards. The first martyr of Hongseong is Peter Won Si-jang, who was arrested in the Sinhae Persecution of 1791 and was martyred the following year.

The Hongseong martyrs confirmed by records are 8-9 from the early period (1791-1801), 4 from the middle period (1812-1839), and 199 martyrs of the Byeongin Persecution that began in 1866 and continued into the early 1870s, for a total of 211-212 (material of the Bishops' Conference for beatification and canonization). Good News and Hongju Ilbo report 212 Hongseong martyrs confirmed through martyrologies and government records. Including nameless martyrs whose martyrdom cannot be confirmed, the actual number of martyrs is estimated to exceed 1,000. According to the martyrologies, death by hanging was more common than beheading, and there were also martyrs buried alive.

Believers arrested in southern Chungcheong were mostly transferred to Hongju under the Yeongjang system and underwent interrogation and punishment. According to Church records, 113 people, including 100 by hanging and 13 who died in prison, were martyred in Hongju prison or nearby, and Hongju prison is the place where the largest number among 212 confirmed martyrs was martyred.

In 2004, the history of local Catholic martyrdom was made public by Hongseong Parish and Hongseong County, and full-scale excavation of the martyrs' shrine began. In March 2008, Hongseong Parish together with Hongseong County erected a monument inscribed ‘Catholic Hongju Martyrs' Shrine’ at Hapssumeori where Wolgye Stream meets Hongseong Stream, next to Hongju Uisachong. As part of the Hongju Fortress restoration project, Hongju prison was restored in 2012. In June 2011, Hongseong Parish built and blessed a new church and named it Hongju Martyrs Memorial Church. The Diocese of Daejeon appointed a priest in charge of Hongju Martyrs' Shrine in January 2014, and on August 16, 2014, in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Pope Francis beatified Peter Won Si-jang, Francis Bang, Laurentius Park Chwi-deuk and Simon Hwang Il-gwang. In October 2016, 14 Stations of the Cross were installed at the live-burial site and a blessing ceremony was held.

Architecture and space

The martyrdom sites are six places — the Dongheon of the Hongju government office, the prison site of the Hongju government office, the military camp where the camp commander stayed in front of Joyangmun Gate, the old market street where public shaming parades were held, the beheading site by Wolgye Stream across Bukmun Bridge of Hongju Fortress, and the live-burial site at Hapssumeori where Wolgye Stream meets Hongseong Stream — and they lie within 1.4-1.5km. Joyangmun Gate is the east gate, the only surviving gate among the 4 gates of Hongju Fortress in the four directions, and it is said that believers seized during the persecution entered through this gate and were then thrown outside the walls as corpses.

On the monument erected at Hapssumeori, the front is inscribed ‘Catholic Hongju Martyrs' Shrine’ and the back is inscribed ‘This Hongju valley is a holy ground that kept the faith, where the first martyr of Chungcheong ascended to heaven; may this noble spirit become the light of peace’. In the restored Hongju prison, the well said to have been used for the punishment of freezing Peter Won Si-jang to death has also been restored. Anhoe Hall, the Dongheon of the magistrate in the Hongju government office, is Historic Site No. 231 and stands in the grounds of the present Hongseong County Office. Good News reports that the shrine church has been operated as a modest church of about 20 pyeong, prepared by renting part of a commercial building in front of the prison.

Religious significance and context for visiting

The Hongju Catholic Martyrs' Shrine is a shrine where 6 martyrdom and witness sites can be visited on foot, and Hongju Ilbo reported that it is counted as a shrine that can be reached for pilgrimage by train because it is within 30 minutes on foot from Hongseong Station. This shrine is also the place where 6 saints stayed at the Hongju government office. Hongju Ilbo reports that in the Gihae Persecution of 1839, Father Saint Mobang, the first French missionary, and Father Saint Chastan, the second missionary, surrendered themselves and stayed at the Hongju government office, and Bishop Saint Daveluy, Father Saint Wien, Father Saint Aumaitre and Saint Lucas Hwang Seok-du also stayed here.

Related places and people

• Peter Won Si-jang: a Blessed recorded as the first martyr of Chungcheong Province. The brief biography of the Bishops' Conference records 1732-1793 and states that he was martyred on January 28, 1793 at the age of 61, while Hongju Ilbo records his martyrdom in the winter of 1792. The Hongju magistrate ordered water to be poured over his body and to leave him outside to freeze him to death.
• Francis Bang: a Blessed. Born in Myeoncheon, he served as secretary to the governor and, in the Jeongsa Persecution of 1797, was arrested in Hongju the following year and was martyred in Hongju town on January 21, 1799.
• Laurentius Park Chwi-deuk: a Blessed (1769-1799). He was martyred by hanging in Hongju prison.
• Simon Hwang Il-gwang: a Blessed. Born in Hongju, he was arrested during the Sinyu Persecution and, immediately after being transferred to his hometown Hongju, was beheaded and martyred on January 30, 1802 at the age of 45 (birth and death years 1757-1802 in the Bishops' Conference biography).
• Servants of God Joseph Kim Seon-yang (1808-1866), Maria Choe (?-1867) and Andrea Park (1818-1867): introduced in Bishops' Conference materials as representative martyrs martyred in Hongju prison or the military camp.
• Paul Yi Yeo-sam: a person martyred during the middle-period persecution as introduced by Hongju Ilbo, who, it is reported, baptized himself just before martyrdom.
• The anti-foreign stele in Guhang-myeon: Hongju Ilbo reports that it stands on a rock at the foot of the mountain across from the Guhang-myeon Office, about 15 minutes from Hongseong-eup toward Seosan.

References and sources

1. Special Episcopal Committee for Beatification and Canonization of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, ‘Related Shrines – Hongju Martyrs' Shrine’ (source: Diocese of Daejeon, ‘Hongseong and Haemi Shrines Source Collection’ 2006). The Naepo faith community, the number of martyrs, explanations by martyrdom site, and the brief biographies of 4 Blesseds were confirmed.
   https://cbck.or.kr/koreanmartyrs/Shrines/85?page=3
2. Good News (Catholic), Shrines and Historic Sites ‘Hongju Martyrs' Shrine’. 6 martyrdom sites, 212 martyrs, excavation in 2004, erection of the martyrdom monument in 2008, blessing of the church in 2011, appointment of a priest in charge in 2014, and installation of 14 stations in 2016 were confirmed.
   https://m.catholic.or.kr/web/holyplace/?seq=2311
3. Hongju Ilbo, ‘Hongju Martyrs' Shrine, the Blood of Martyrs Soaked in Hongju Government Office, the Center of Naepo’ (2024-11-07). The composition of martyrs, restoration of the prison, stay of 6 saints, beatification of the Blesseds (2014), and train pilgrimage were confirmed.
   http://www.hjn24.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=124991
4. Segye Ilbo, ‘Tour of the Catholic Naepo Shrines the Pope Will Visit … 3. Hongju Shrine and Haemi Shrine’ (2014-04-28). 212 Hongju martyrs as recorded and the circumstances of Won Si-jang's martyrdom were confirmed.
   https://www.segye.com/newsView/20140428002172