Andrew Kim Dae-geon was born in 1821 in Solmoe,Chungcheong-do, to the devout Catholic couple Kim Je-jun Ignatius and KoUrsula. Noticing his firm character and deep piety, Father Maubant selected himas a seminarian in 1836 and sent him to study in Macao. After six years offormation, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Ferréol in August 1845, becomingthe first Korean Catholic priest. Returning to Joseon, he began ministry in theregions of Seoul and Yongin. In the lunar month of April 1846, he set out forHwanghae-do to deliver letters to a Chinese ship and secure a route formissionaries to enter Korea, as ordered by his bishop. After successfullydelivering the letters, he was arrested on his way back at Sinuido and taken tothe Left Police Bureau in Seoul. During interrogation, officials recognized hisintelligence and composure and attempted to persuade him to renounce his faith,believing it a waste for the nation to lose such a man. Kim, however, triedinstead to enlighten them on the truth of the faith. He was sentenced to deathand executed on September 16, 1846, at Saenamteo according to militarydecapitation procedure. He calmly received the blade after leaving theexecutioner a final message: “Become a Catholic so you maycome to the place where I am going.” Traditionrecounts that as his head fell, thunder roared and heavy rain poured over theexecution ground. He was twenty-six years old. He was beatified on July 5, 1925, by Pope Pius XI,named heavenly patron of all clergy working in Korea by Pope Pius XII onNovember 25, 1949, and canonized among the 103 KoreanMartyr Saints on May 6, 1984, by Pope St. John Paul II atYeouido, during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Korean CatholicChurch.