The Church in Korea

The story of the rise of the Catholic Church in Korea is one of those that makes it clear that God is besides us and it is his efforts along with ours that make things work.  Lay people, in the 17th century, not priests and religious, began the process of evangelization in Korea as a result of some literature about Christianity which arrived in the country from Japan.  Soon the small community of initial believers grew and by the time the first missionary priest arrived, it had grown to 4,000. When it had grown to 10,000, it was enough to come to the attention of the government which began a series of persecutions in the 19th century.  Pope Saint John Paul II canonized 98 martyrs during his trip in 1984, among whom were Andrew Kim Tae-gon, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, whose memorial we keep today. "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church", wrote Tertullian, a second century theologian,"  and the Church in Korea continues to grow, now numbering 5 million Catholics.  Persecutions continue world-wide without much publicity, and the Church continues to grow.  When we have doubts, we might just look around us and see that God is with us, asking for our love and trust.  From our own little sufferings and inconveniences our faith can and will grow.
Bro. Rene