Roman Catholic Diocese of Jeju opened 6 routes of catholic pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage route ofFr. Andrea Kim Dae-geon-Ro, the route ofHanon catholic-Rochurch, the route ofKim Gi-ryang-Ro, the route ofJeong Nan-ju-Ro,
the route ofSinchook Hwahae-Ro,
the route ofSt. Isidore-Rowere opened in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
In 2019, the bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Jeju named the pilgrimage of Jeju as"Santo Viaggio"which means holy journey.
This further means the God leads pilgrims' journey and gives them a gift of divine grace.
---You can print the leaflet and guidebook on the website.
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< The pilgrimage road of Fr. Andrea Kim Daegeon - Ro>
This route starts from Gosan catholic church passing through Suwolbong which is designated as Global Geoparks and Yongsu sacred site where Father Andrea Kim Dae-geon took off to Shanghai Port and returned back through the West Sea. The last spot for the pilgrimage of Fr. Andrea Kim Dae-geon is Sinchang catholic church.
Father Kim Dae-Geon was the first Korean to receive priesthood from Shanghai, China on August 17, 1845. On August 31 of the same year, he and 13 others, including Bishop Pereol and Father Dableu, returned to Korea on the "Raphael" and landed here on the shore of Yongsu-ri on September 28.
Father Andrea Dae-Geon Kim and his companions dedicated their first Mass at Yongsu-ri coast, and after repairing the ship, they took off and landed at Nabawi of Jeonlabuk-do. Father Kim Dae-geon was arrested in 1846 while serving as a priest in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, and was severely tortured. In September of that year, he was sentenced to death. At the time, he was 25 years old. The Catholic Diocese of Jeju proclaimed the port of Yongsu-ri as a sacred site on September 19, 1999 and established a memorial and Memorial Church to commemorate Father Kim Dae-Geon’s martyrdom and passion for missionary work. The ‘Raphael’ ship is restored and displayed in the memorial.
Route: Gosan catholic church-Suwolbong-Jagunae Port-Dangsanbong-Yongsu sacred site-Sinchang catholic church.
< The route of Hanoncatholic-Ro >
This route starts from Seogwipo catholic church passing through Myeonhyeong’s House where there used to be a site of Hanon catholic church and Hongro catholic church.
The final destination is again Seogwipo catholic church.
This route passes Cheonjiyeon waterfall which is designated as Natural Monument and the site of Hanon catholic church and Hanon volcanic crater which is called as Natural Museum.
In addition, this route passes the road where Father Émile Joseph Taquet had walked when he moved Hanon catholic church.
In 1898, at the age of 24, Taquet was sent to Korea (then called Joseon) by the Paris Foreign Missions Society.
He remained in Korea as a missionary for 55 years until his death in Daegu in 1952.
After stints at the main churches in Busan, Jinju, and Masan; churches in Hanon and Hongno on Jeju Island; the Sanjeong neighborhood church in Mokpo, and Noan church in Naju,
Taquet was assigned to serve as a professor at St. Justin Seminary in Daegu in 1922, a position where he remained for the rest of his life.
Jeong’s own journey was focused on Jeju, where Taquet spent the first 13 years of his missionary work, collecting plant samples of the king cherry tree and the Korean fir.
While spending a month at the House of Remission, a church in Seogwipo (the location of Hongno church, where Taquet had his first assignment in 1902) Jeong retraced Taquet’s steps past Hanon church and a gingko tree to Seogwipo church. Taquet sent more than 10,000 plant samples from Jeju to botanists in Europe, the US, and Japan, and even today his plants and records are still found at universities and botanical gardens around the world.
This route passes Somban-nae, a road of Heulgdam pine trees and Myeonhyeong’s House.
On the way back to Seogwipo catholic church, you can stop by Olle market, the road of Lee Jung-seob who is considered one of the most important artists in Korea and the road of Father Taquet.
The pilgrimage road of Kim Gi-ryang
This route starts from Jocheon catholic church passing through Hamdeok village and ends at Kim Gi-ryang Martyr's Memorial Hall.
While you are walking this route you can see beautiful coastal road.
Jeju island’s first Catholic martyr, Felix Peter Kim Gi-ryang was born in a Buddhist middle-class family on Jeju island in 1816.
He went on to become a businessman and traveled from one place to another by ship. During a sea voyage in February 1857, his vessel was caught by strong winds and waves.
A British ship rescued him and his fellow mariners. However, all except Kim died due to extreme exhaustion. Kim was sent to missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP) in Hong Kong,
where he received training in catechism.
He was baptized on May 31, 1857, by Father J.J. Rousseille, the MEP vice-superior in Hong Kong.
He took the Christian names Felix and Peter and returned to Korea. Back home, Kim met with Catholic missionaries and became a close associate of Father Thomas Choe,
who assigned him to evangelize and offer catechism classes to communities and seafarers on Jeju.
Catholics in Korea were facing persecution unleashed by the staunchly Buddhist rulers of the Joseon dynasty.
In 1866, thousands of Korean Catholics were massacred for refusing to renounce their faith.
In 2001, the beatification committee of Roman Catholic Diocese of Jeju worked for beutification of Felix Peter Kim Gi-ryang.
His Memorial Stones for The Martyred were set up at Jocheon catholic church in January 2003 and in his hometown Hamdeok in April 2005.
On 10th September 2006, there was belief rally of Felix Peter Kim Gi-ryang martyrdom140th anniversary.
Catholics looked back on his great life and testimony of Christian faith and they had been praying for his beatification since November 2007. Eventually, Felix Peter Kim Gi-ryang was beatified on 16th August 2014.
The pilgrimage of Sinchuk Hwahae (reconciliation)
This route has historical scars of modern historical pain, the Jeju uprising which is known as Jeju April 3rd incident and Sinchuk Gyoan.
The route starts from Hwang Sapyeong where victims of Sinchuk Gyoan were interred together, passes through Hwabuk port where it is believed Mary Jeong Nan-ju arrived,
Goneuldong village which was entirely razed during the Jeju uprising, Byeoldo-cheon where the victims of the Jeju uprising were dumped and Gwandeokjeong where Catholics were sacrificed.
The final destination is Jungang Cathedral which is the first catholic church in Jeju.
The pilgrimage of Jeong Nan-ju
This route starts from Daejeong sacred site (Tomb of Mary, Jeong Nan-ju) and ends at Moseulpo catholic church.
Mary Jeong Nan-ju was sent into exile in Jeju during the Sinyu Persecution in 1801 because “her husband Hwang Sa Young wrote a petition against the government’s suppression of Catholics.
On the way to Jeju, she was separated from her son Hwang Gyeong-han.
In her sorrow, she left seeds of faith and died in 1838.
In the pilgrimage route of Jeong Nan-ju, along with Tomb of Mary Jeong Nan-ju, there are Daejeong-county Fortress,
Chusa’s Place of Exile (Chusa Yubaeji) and Daejung Hyanggyo.
In addition, there is Seotal oreum where there are scars from Japanese army preparing for the Pacific War during the Japanese occupation and pain of Jeju April 3rd incident.
There are Tomb of Lee Gyu-seok and his sons who were martyred during Sinchuk Roman Catholic Trouble (Sinchuk Gyoan). At Moseulpo catholic church,
House of Contrition (Present: House of Love) still remains which is the first catholic church in Daejeong built by captives of Chinese army.
The pilgrimage road of St. Isidore
On this route, there is Park of Jesus’ Lifetime which displays important events of Jesus’ public life from the birth of Jesus to the last supper.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral can accommodate upto 3,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors. Outdoor stations of the Cross display actual-sized Passion of Jesus.
Saemiso which is also called as Rosary Lake was created in the shape of rosary using trees and rocks.
Catholics comes to mass at The Holy Trinity Cathedral and pray the rosary at Saemiso every May (Our Lady’s Night) and October (Rosary Night). In addition, there is the Grotto of Our Lady which reproduces Lourdes apparitions.
This route also passes Josu gongso and Cheongsu gongso and ends at Gosan Catholic church which is the departure point of the pilgrimage road of Fr. Andrea Kim Dae-geon.
