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Catholic pilgrims flock to South Korean Protestant church for 'Martyrs' Garden'
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Catholic pilgrims flock to South Korean Protestant church for 'Martyrs' Garden'

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Catholic pilgrims visit a Protestant church in Cheongju, South Korea, to see a 'Martyrs' Garden' dedicated to Catholic saints.
  • The church, built on a site where Catholics were martyred, maintains the garden as a sacred space.
  • This interdenominational cooperation highlights a shared spirit of Christian love and unity, transcending religious differences.

In Cheongju, South Korea, a Protestant church is drawing thousands of Catholic pilgrims annually, not for its own services, but for a sacred space within its grounds: a 'Martyrs' Garden.' This garden honors Catholic saints martyred during the Byeongin Persecution in the 19th century. The church, Cheongju Jeil Church, stands on land where these Catholic faithful were executed, a history it embraces and commemorates.

Our church's nickname is 'A Protestant church built on the site of Catholic martyrdom,' and even our church members are proud that there is a Catholic holy site within the church.

— Reverend Lee Kun-heeExplaining the church's unique identity and its embrace of Catholic history.

Reverend Lee Kun-hee, the church's pastor, explained that the initiative for the garden came from the nearby Catholic parish. The Protestant church readily agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to foster unity. "The important thing is not the form and format of religion, but the fundamental spirit," Lee stated. This sentiment underscores a shared belief in Christian love and the pursuit of unity, despite differing traditions and confessions.

The church also features a 'Democracy Garden,' established in response to the Catholic parish's initiative. This garden commemorates the church's own history as a center for the region's democratization movement during periods of military dictatorship. Bullet holes from the Korean War are deliberately left on the church's exterior walls as a reminder of the preciousness of peace and democracy.

The important thing is not the form and format of religion, but the fundamental spirit.

— Reverend Lee Kun-heeHighlighting the shared spiritual core that unites different Christian denominations.

This remarkable interdenominational cooperation is rare, especially within Protestantism, which often sees divisions along ideological and denominational lines. Cheongju Jeil Church's embrace of its Catholic history and its willingness to create shared sacred spaces exemplify a commitment to religious harmony and mutual respect, fostering a spirit of collaboration rather than exclusion.

We all agreed that while the traditions and confessions of faith may differ, the heart that moves towards unity in Christ's love is the same.

— Reverend Lee Kun-heeDescribing the consensus among church members to collaborate with the Catholic parish.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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