Diocese of Sicuani commemorates feast of 103 Korean martyrs

Bishop César Huerta Ramírez presided over a Mass at Sicuani Cathedral on September 19 to commemorate the feast of the 103 Korean martyrs. The liturgy included priests Enrique and Atanacio, who serve the local pastoral communities, along with four visiting Korean priests.

During his homily, Bishop Huerta Ramírez noted that the group of martyrs included 92 laypeople and 11 priests, such as Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and Saint Paul Chong Hasang. These individuals died for their faith between 1839 and 1867 during periods of religious persecution in Korea. The bishop explained that the Korean Church grew through the efforts of laypeople evangelizing one another rather than through foreign missionaries. He described the celebration as a sign of communion between the Church in Korea and the Diocese of Sicuani.