KongSe-ri Church [공세리 교회]

This is located between Ahsan gulf and Sapkyo-chon.This was the entrance to the Naepo district(central region) and an important small harbor during the persecution period.
This was well populated and boat traffic was heavy.
Both KongSe-ri and KolMe-ri,which are adjacent,produced many martyrs.
After the persecutions, when the missionaries returned,this was the first area that they evangelized.

The Church was estabilished in 1894,Father Devisse,M.E.P was assigned as its first pastor.
In thosedays it was the only parish of south ChungChung Province.
Today, St.Benedict parish of KongSe-ri is proud of its tradition and long history

Sol Moe [솔 뫼]

This was the first area in the Naepo region to be evangelized and proved fertile soil for the message of the gospel.
The catholic faith was introduced here by Louis-Gonzaga Yi Tan-Won  the Apostle of Naepo who was a disciple of the founders of the church at Chon Jin Am and had even preached with them
This SolMae soon became a source of faith as conversions multiplied.It is the birth place of Saint.Andrew  Kim Tae-Gon born here on Aug 21,1821.

Aug 21,1821 : Born in Central region
000 00, 1828 : Moved into Golbaemasil,Kyungkido province
Dec 22,1836 : Despatched to Macau for stutying
000 00, 1842 : He met Bishop Ferreol
Dec 17,1844 : Ordained Deacon in Jillin China
Aug 17,1845 : Ordained Priesthood in Shanghai China
May 12,1845 : Arrested at west coast Island
Sep 21,1846 : Martyred at Saenamto
Jul 05,  1925 : Beatified
May 06,1984 : Cannonized

Hae Mi [해 미]

This was military base attached to the fortress compound was a prison where many catholics were tortured and martyred.
In 1799, Yi Bo-Hyun  and a companion were killed at Hae Mi.
In 1814 after 10 years incarceration, Pius Kim Chin-Hu great Grant father of Kim Tae-Gon died in the Prison.
The number called to witness the faith steadily increased.
In 1817,more catholics including Joseph Yon-Ok Son of DokSan,were martyred at the fortress.

During the great persecution of 1866, so many catholics awaited execution that the killing process had to be changed.
At first,Christians were crushed to death individually under huge stones.
Other were hanged from a large tree,which still stands inside the fortress.

In 1935,the mass graves were unearthed and revealed many crucifixes and rosary beads among the bones of the martyrs.
The remains of those unknown martyrs were transferred to a burial site in SeoSan parish,ChungChung Province.

The grave of unknown martyrs [무명 순교자 의 묘]

In 1935,Father Pierre Barraux,M.E.P SeoSan parish priest recovered the remains of christians martyrs buried alive in mass grave at Hae Mi in 1866.
The remains of unknown martyrs were transferred to SamHong-ri,in SeoSan,where they are burried on a hill behind the mission statiion.

TaRak-gol [다락골]

This is belong to ChungYang county, Chungchung provice is the birth place of Saint.Father Thomas Yang-Up Choi,the second korean priest.
In 1866,the bodies of those martyred in prison at HongSung county were carted to here by night time,So many were buired in this fashion that there are more graves of unknown martyrs in this village than anywhere else.
A Korean proverb says that ;
" A tiger leaves only a skin in death,while a man leaves behind his good name"
cnventional wisdom to the contrary,the martyrs were so completely that they willingly sacrificed everything for the love of God,even the memory of a good name.

KalMaeMot [갈 매 못]

In 1866,Bishop Antonie Daveluy,Father Pierre Aumaitre and Martin Huin and Catechists Joseph Jang Nak-So  who was the house owner of First Seminary in Korea and Luke Hwang Sok-Du were martyred here.

Luke Hwang was a brilliant co-worker of Bishop Daveluy who together with the Bishop,translated the Bible into Korean,wrote catechetical material.

Rhen Bishop Daveluy failed to meet the regent,he decided to give himself up to the police in order to stop the arrest of catholics,who were being jailed in ever increasing numbers.He wrote to Father Aumaitre and Huin suggesting the same course of action for them.
      

Meanwhile,King KoJong was ill and his wedding day was drawing near.
A shaman advised to royal court that the bloodshed in the capital would be a bad omen as well as  pall upon festivities.

The captives,joined by Joseph Jang Nak-So also were sent to here for execution.
Bishop Antoine Daveluy was martyred 21 years after arrival in Korea and only three weeks after becoming 5th Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Korea.
He had assisted Simeon Berneux also martyred ,as an auxiliary Bishop for nine years.

HwangSae Bawi [황새바위]

For the 100 years of bloody killings,catholics were brought here to die at HwangSae Bawi(Literally yellow bird rock).
Some 248 martyrs are unknown and listed by name,but many times that number are said to have chosen death rather than deny the faith.

Hongsung county [홍 성 군]

The faith spread very rapdly to HongJu from Naepo district.
In the year of persecution, 123 catholics were martyred at here
In 1791,when two catholics of noble class refused to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and were killed for the faith.
Only two years later,in 1793,Peter Won was arrested.he was severely beaten at the wall to freeze to death.
Over the next 80 years, innumerable catholics were executed here.