Social justice 24/07/04 Korean diocese honors martyred missionary priest

[성기화 요셉]

Korean diocese honors martyred missionary priest

James Maginn is one of seven Columban priests killed by the communists during the Korean War

A monument to honor martyred priest James Maginn at Samcheok, South Korea. (Photo: Columban Missionaries, Ireland)

By UCA News reporter

Published: July 09, 2024 11:14 AM GMT

Updated: July 09, 2024 11:23 AM GMT

Wonju Diocese in South Korea has unveiled a statue of the US-born missionary priest James Maginn (1911-1950), who was martyred by North Korean communist forces during the Korean War.

Bishop Basil Cho Gyu-man of Wonju led the blessing ceremony of the statue at the Seongnae-dong parish before some 150 people, including local government officials, on July 4.

Maginn, a member of the Foreign Missionary Society of St. Columban, is one of seven members of the order and among hundreds of Catholics who were tortured and killed by the communists for their faith.

Born in 1911 in Butte, Montana, US, Maginn moved to Ireland with his parents in 1922 and attended school in Belfast.

Following his ordination as a Columban priest in 1935, Maginn was sent to Korea as a missionary, according to koreanmartyrs.com.

Japanese forces arrested him along with other missionaries during World War II and released him after months of detention.

North Korean forces once again detained him during the Korean War (1950-1953).

According to Church sources, he was killed on July 4, 1950, at the age of 38. He was the second of seven Columban priests who were martyred during the war, which left at least three million killed and ten million displaced.

In March 1952, when Chuncheon city was liberated, his grave and body were located based on the information of eyewitnesses.

His body was exhumed and laid to rest on March 26, 1952, in the churchyard of Jungnim-dong, now the Cathedral Church of Chuncheon Diocese.

He was later declared a Servant of God, the preliminary title for a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

Wonju Diocese earlier established a memorial site on the place where the missionary priest was martyred. 

The site consists of a statue, a monument in memory of his martyrdom, his biography, an altar with the Last Supper scene, 14 Stations of the Cross, and a mural depicting his life from birth to his martyrdom and burial.

During the ceremony, Bishop Cho said the life of great missionaries like James Maginn inspires the Korean Church.

“When we think of Father James Jin, who gave up his life and helped other believers escape at a young age during the war, we realize that believers are beings who sacrifice themselves for others because of Jesus,” Cho said.

“We, too, must learn the spirit of martyrdom in our daily lives. Let us pray fervently for the beatification and canonization of Father James as soon as possible,” he added.

* This report is brought to you in partnership with the Catholic Times of Korea.