Pilgrimage of Light: St. Andreas Kim Tae Gon

On the third day of my visit to Jeju Island, South Korea I decided to put a special activity on my itinerary. After being introduced about pilgrimage by my catholic youth community in Taiwan, I am interested in experiencing it by myself. The Diocese of Jeju has opened 6 routes of Catholic pilgrimages, and they named it “Santo Viaggio” which means holy journey. One of the pilgrimage routes is the Pilgrimage of St. Andrew Kim Tae Gon.

St. Andrew Kim Taegon was a first Korean born Catholic priest in Korea. He was born into a noble Korean family (Yangban) that was deeply rooted in Catholic faith. His father was martyred because of practicing Christianity which was heavily prohibited in Korea that time. Being surrounded and influenced by a strong Catholic faith, St. Andrew Kim Tae Gon grew with a strong vision and calling to evangelize the Gospel, especially in is beloved nation. After being baptized at the age of 15, he went to study priesthood in Seminary of St. Joseph in Macau and he later was ordained a priest in Shanghai in 1984 by Bishop Jean-Joseph Ferréol in Shanghai.

After being ordained as a priest, St. Kim Tae Gon returned to his beloved Country and ministered the underground Christian faithful in Korea. The situation was not ideal for him to evangelize due to the strict ban of Christianity in the Joseon era, and the persecution that is happening at that time.

Jeju Island has becoming part of the journey of St. Andrew Kim Tae Gon, during his comeback to the country. He was accompanied by 13 other priests returned to Korea secretly sailing north along the coast of China with a French trading ship that was called “Raphael”. It was not a plan that they would land in Jeju Island, but the stormy weather and the rough east China seas forcing them to drift apart from their intended course. The ship was bound to the east side and eventually washed ashore near Yongsu-ri, Jeju Island (which now become Yongsu Shrine, a significant point of this pilgrimage route).

The Pilgrimage Route

The Diocese of Jeju has set up this pilgrimage to be around 12.8 kilometers with 6 stops. As soon as I got off the bus, I was welcomed by an open-armed statue of Jesus in Gosan Catholic church, where this journey will start. The church has a warm wood interior and peaceful surroundings outside the building. There was a mural of St. Kim Tae Gon’s Letter. That place marked the start of the route, before I headed to the next stop: Suwolbong Peak.

Suwolbong peak is a small volcanic cone, where it offers a breathtaking view of the sea and a small island called Chagwido just across the land. After enjoying some time at Suwolbong peak, I decided to continue my journey. At that time, I take the same route as I came there, where I must follow the other route to go to my next destination, Jagunae port. Although it should be the other way, I arrived at my destination anyway. Along the way, I was amazed by the beauty of nature that God has created on earth. I saw green rice fields, with mountains as the background, a horse enjoying its food, which was such a beautiful way to take time from the busy and rushing world. As soon as I arrived, I saw many ships were resting at the port. At this port, I imagined how St. Kim Tae Gon’s companions were continuing their journey with courage to spread the gospel after being faced by so many challenges and trials.

The next stop of my journey was Yongsu shrine, which I told you was the place where St. Kim’s ship, Raphael, was washed ashore. However, before reaching that place, I must pass through a hike to Dansanbong peak, a small volcanic cone near Yongsu area. When I was about to enter the trail. I was very hesitant whether I should continue to hike. I was alone at that time, and the weather on that day was forecasted to be cloudy and possibly raining. After building up some courage in myself, I decided to walk that road no matter what. I walked step by step on the stairs and became aware of my surroundings. When I reached the peak, the sky was starting to become gloomier, like reminding me to go down or it would be a disaster up there. As I went down, it was very windy, and I just prayed that it wouldn’t be raining while I was still inside the mountain. I felt so connected to myself at that time; I got the feeling where I had unlocked my courage. Finally, I reached the bottom. Thank God, I could arrive safely.

After that I continued to walk and soon I arrived at Yongsu Shrine. It was a beautiful, preserved place. There were some gardens outside the church with the statue of Virgin Mary. I also can see St. Kim Tae Gon’s ship monument, Raphael was exhibited in the garden, also a museum to commemorate the journey of St. Kim Tae Gon and his companions. I entered the church and took some time to pray, and after that looked around the museum. Through the exhibition, I saw how hard Korean martyrs’ life was as Christians during that era. In the museum, they depicted how they were persecuted, the tools that was used to kill the martyrs. 

After being at the shrine for some time, I continued my journey to the final stop. It was Sinchang Catholic Church. I was walking along the beautiful western coast of Jeju Island. The view was very amazing, with some electricity turbine that decorated the sea view. As I arrived at the church, it turned out that the church was closed, therefore I couldn’t enter. In turn, I looked around and prayed for a decade of rosary in front of the Virgin Mary statue outside the church. It was so sweet and calm, accompanied by light rain. And finally, it marked the end of pilgrimage, which has placed a very special impression on me personally.

Reflections

As I reflected on this pilgrimage, I found so many new things to learn. I tried to see through St. Kim Tae Gon’s point of view to understand how brave he truly was. At only twenty-five years old, he gave everything he had, even his life, to proclaim God’s truth to the world. Despite all the hardships he faced in his calling, he remained faithful. He chose to trust God’s plan and the mission entrusted to him.

Often, as a Catholic, I also experience fears the fear of being rejected, of feeling shy or hesitant to stand firm in my faith. Although in today’s modern world persecution is no longer as severe as what the martyrs faced, many people have become lukewarm in proclaiming God’s word. They have inspired me that faith requires courage and not comfort, and it can be proven by every small act and choice that we make every day. St. Kim Tae Gon has said in his final moments before his death,

“This is my last hour of life. Listen to me attentively: if I have spoken to you, or acted in any way against you, forgive me. But if I have spoken the truth, then believe me and repent.

The way of eternal life is to keep faith. God has held me in His mercy until now, and now I go to Him. Bear witness to my death. Whether you are Christian or not, all of us must die. But know this: even when my life ends, I will continue to live with God forever.”

He showed such courage even in his very last breath, he asked people to repent and to believe in God. He also spoke about keeping faith, which resonated in my heart. To keep faith in Christ surely is not easy, it requires obedience to what God said, and sometimes it calls us to step away from comfort. That way, we can grow faith, preserve it, until we can present our faithful life to God in eternal life.

During this journey, I also gain new courage that was coming from God. I can see how I conquer my own fear, relying on Jesus in every step I make. I find peace when I walk alone, in an unknown place, with his presence alone that has led me. In recent days, I have been struggling with the feeling of loneliness, I found it was hard being in my solitude. But this journey has given me new strength, to find comfort even if it’s only me, there will always be God in there. I won’t be afraid in my solitude anymore, for I will always find God who is always faithful beside me in every moment.