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St. Andrew Kim was the son of a convert and a martyr for the Catholic faith. His father Ignatius Kim became a Catholic as an adult. In the Korean persecutions of the 1830s, he was martyred, and in1925 he was declared blessed. St. Andrew Kim at age fifteen was baptized into the Catholic faith, and then left for the seminary in China to begin his studies for the priesthood. After six years he returned to Korea through Manchuria, then traveled to Shanghai and was the first Korean-born man ordained to the priesthood. The times were turbulent when he began his priestly ministry to the Catholic faithful in Korea. He was joined by others who like himself had a deep love for Christ and the desire to bring His love and truths to the Korean people. Andrew Kim smuggled priests through water routes to avoid the patrols who guarded the borders. He was eventually caught, tortured and martyred for the faith in 1846.
Paul Chong was a married layman, whose father was a convert and a martyr for the faith in 1801. Paul was a bulwark of the early Catholic Korean Church. Born in 1795, he experienced the persecutions that devastated the young Church in Korea. Full of the love of Christ, he rekindled the faith and devotion of the scattered Christian community. Seeking assistance from the Chinese Catholic community, he made many trips begging the Chinese bishop for priests to bring the sacraments to the Korean people. Eventually he was captured and martyred on September 22, 1839. Pope John Paul II made the following remarks at the canonization.
"The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by lay people. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to today's splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians in the Church of silence in the north of this tragically divided land" (Blessed John Paul II, speaking at the canonization).
A Korean entree to celebrate the heroic deeds of these brave martyrs is known as Bul Ko Kee or in English, Korean Barbecued Beef! It is very tasty and popular with those who like an Asian flavor to their barbecue! I hope you enjoy it.
Bul-Ko-Kee
1 pound beef boneless top loin or sirloin steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Remove fat from beef; cut beef into 1/8 inch slices on the diagonal. (You can freeze the beef partially for ease in slicing.) Mix remaining ingredients; stir in beef until well coated, then cover and refrigerate for 35 minutes.
Drain beef; stir-fry in 10-inch pan or wok over medium heat until lightly brown, 2 - 3 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice, noodles, or a gluten-free pasta.
