CHURCH 25/05/23 Columbans remember priests martyred during Korean War

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The commemorative gathering included a Holy Mass attended by relatives of the martyred missionaries

The descendants of priests who were martyred in the Korean War take a commemorative photo next to the 'June 25 St. Colomban Martyrdom Monument' on May 23. (Photo: Lee Hyung-joon/catholictimes.org)

By UCA News reporter

Published: May 28, 2025 12:39 PM GMT

Updated: May 29, 2025 10:01 AM GMT

A Catholic missionary society in South Korea marked the 75th anniversary of the martyrdom of its seven priests during the Korean War, who have been declared Servants of God by the Vatican.

The May 23 event, organized by the  Korean branch of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban in the national capital, Seoul, included a commemorative Holy Mass attended by relatives of the martyred missionaries.

Columban missionary priest Daniel Kiback, who presided over the Holy Mass, said the martyred priests lived in Korea and gave witness to faith with their lives, "even amid the horrors of war.”

The seven Columban priests declared Servants of God are Anthony Collier, James Maginn, Patrick Reilly, Patrick Brennan, Thomas Cusack, John O’Brien, and Francis Canavan.

They have been grouped with Bishop Francis Borgia Hong Yong-ho of Pyongyang and 80 companions, who were killed in persecutions from 1901 to the mid-20th century and are under consideration for beatification and potential sainthood.

The “Servant of God” title is formally given when the diocesan process has been completed, and the records are sent to the Holy See’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The later stages include declaring the person venerable, blessed, and finally canonization, which officially elevates the individual to the status of a saint.

According to the Columban missionary society’s official website, six of them were martyred by the North Korean Communist troops, and one died in prison.

The society’s website stated that two of their members had survived the infamous Death March to North Korea.

The Columban society presented a commemorative plaque to the relatives after the Holy Mass.

During a meeting after Mass, relatives shared their memories of the martyrs and their experiences related to them.

Stefanie McNamara, who was five when Cusack was martyred in 1950, said she remembered “vividly” the last time her uncle flew back to Korea from Ireland after a vacation, and “the news of his death.”

“Whenever Korean believers held our hands and said, 'thank you' to us, it was an indescribable feeling,” McNamara said.

“It filled my heart with joy, and I feel like I can return to Ireland with a grateful heart,” she added.

Cusack is believed to have been martyred in Mokdong, Daejeon, in September 1950.

The relatives who arrived in South Korea on May 19 had met Archbishop Simon Ok Hyun-jin of Gwangju and Bishop Simon Kim Ju-young of Chuncheon.

They also visited the Society of the Divine Word in Mokdong, Daejeon, and the Soyangro Cathedral in Chuncheon, which are considered the alleged places of death of the martyrs.

The Columban missionaries arrived in Korea in 1933 at the invitation of the Paris Foreign Missions (MEP), specifically Bishop Florian-Jean-Baptiste Demange of the Daegu Diocese.

Following the end of Japan’s imperial rule (1905-45), Korea was divided into two parts by the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

Several efforts to unify Korea failed over disagreements between the US and Soviet regimes and resulted in the Korean War (1950-53).

North Korean communist forces invaded the South during the war, and brutal conflict left some 4 million dead and about 10 million families displaced.

The war ended with an armistice, not a war treaty, on July 27, 1953. It means the nations are technically still at war.

According to the South Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, North Korea’s military murdered 1,145 Christians, including 119 Catholics and 1,026 Protestants, during their retreat from the South following military operations by United Nations forces that began on Sept. 26, 1950.

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