An article from the Catholic Peace Newspaper in Korea on the blessing and unveiling of a statue of Columban martyr Fr James Maginn as well as a large mural depicting his life at the site of his martyrdom by Bishop Cho Kyu-man. Translated by Fr Donal O’Keeffe.
At the blessing-unveiling of the Fr James Maginn statue and mural,
Bishop Cho Kyu-man calls for prayers for his beatification
On 4th of July, the Diocese of Wonju held a ceremony blessing the martyrdom site and unveiling a life-size statue of ‘Servant of God’ Fr James Maginn (1911-1950) of the Missionary Society of St Columban, who was martyred while guarding the church during the Korean War.
The event took place at 140-2, Jangsan-dong, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do, and was presided over by Bishop Cho Kyu-man of Wonju Diocese.
Fr James Jin, whose beatification is being promoted by the Korean Church, was born in November 1911 in Montana, US, and was ordained a Columban priest in December 1935.
He arrived in Korea in 1936 as a missionary and in October 1949 was appointed as the first pastor of Samcheok Parish (now Seongnae-dong Parish).
Immediately after the outbreak of the Korean War, Fr James refused his parishioners’ pleas to flee, stating, “We must stand firm in our faith and protect the church until the end to bear witness to God’s truth before the communists.”
He was martyred on 4th of July 1950, by the North Korean army.
The Seongnae-dong Parish of the Wonju Diocese established a martyrdom site along the riverside in Juseong-dong, Samcheok City, featuring a statue of Fr James and a 105-meter-long mural depicting his life story on a 740-square-meter area.
Bishop Cho Kyuman blessing the mural of Columban martyr Fr James Maginn.
The martyrdom monument is inscribed with the words, “Fr James Maginn, Martyr of the Korean War,” followed by a biography and the words, “The parishioners have erected this statue to honour and emulate the noble life and martyrdom of Fr James, who laid the foundation stone of the Catholic Church in the Samcheok Region and gave his life as a witness to the Lord during the Korean War, ”
In his homily, Bishop Kyu-man Cho stated, “The blessing of the martyrdom site and the unveiling of the statue are being held on the anniversary of Fr James’s death. Fr Maginn demonstrated through his death what a priest should do for God and for others.”
He continued, “We often say we think about the suffering of others, but it is difficult to accept and sacrifice that suffering when it comes to us unless we are disciplined in our daily lives. Let us pray more for the beatification of Fr Maginn.”
Courtesy: Catholic Peace Newspaper Homepage July 10, 2024. Reporter Jang Hyun-min.