The Shrine Becoming a Place for Daily Life
Kim Jeoungeun (Kim): The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Namyang was the first shrine to the Virgin Mary in Korea in 1991 due to its historical nature of being a martyrdom for unknown martyrs, who were massacred during Byeongin Persecution (1866). Priest Lee Sanggak has been working hard to make this place a holy place for 30 years. Tell us about its background.
Lee Sanggak (Lee): At the end of 1983, through a paper of local historians, it was revealed that the Namyang Shrine was a martyrdom site of the Byeongin Persecution. I was assigned to this place in August 1989, and I wanted to make it a place to honour the martyrs and commemorate their spirits. But the international situation at that time was very dramatic due to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Seeing that the border between East and West Germany, which seemed unlikely to disappear at all, was fading, I wondered if there would be a change in North Korea next time. So, I proposed to the diocesan bishop at the time to consecrate the Namyang Shrine
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days