Marian devotion
On the western coast of Korea, Galmaemot retains the memory of those who gave their lives for Christ during the Byeongin persecution. On the hill that dominates the old place of execution, the Church of Our Lady of Victory: a Marian dedication that contemplates victory not as human triumph, but as fidelity, hope and eternal life.
Advocation: Our Lady of Victory.
Korean name: Seungni-ui Seongmo.
Place: Galmaemot Martyrs Sanctuary, Yeongbo-ri, Ocheon-myeon, Boryeong, South Chungcheong, South Korea.
Official address: 610 Ocheon-haean-ro; parcelary address Yeongbo-ri 375-2.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocese of Daejeon.
Consecration of the church: October 2006.
Nature of the place: historical sanctuary of martyrs containing a church expressly dedicated to Our Lady of Victory.
Main report: martyrdom of five saints and other faithful in 1866.
Galmaemot, by the sea
the name is related to the shape of the coast and to the coastal landscape. In the 19th century it was a remote place next to the naval fortress of Chungcheong. This condition made it a place of public execution: the authorities wanted the death of Catholics to be a warning to a large population.
The Good Friday of 30 March 1866 St. Anthony Daveluy, bishop and successor of St. Simeon Berneux, St. Peter Aumaitre and St. Martin Lucas Huin, priests, St. Luke Hwang Seok-du, catechist, and St. Joseph Jang Ju-gi, were executed there. Ecclesial sources also remember other Catholics killed in the same environment whose names have not reached us.
Memory Recovery
The place was again identified in 1925 and the following year the land was acquired. The visible recovery gradually advanced: in 1975 a memorial was erected, in 1985 an altar was arranged and in 2003 Galmaemot was constituted as a parish-sanctuary. This process turned a coast marked by violence into a space of prayer and reconciliation.
In 2013, Chungcheong del Sur province recognized the historical value of the site as a provincial cultural monument. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture also documents its relationship with the persecution of 1866 and its importance in the history of Korean Catholicism.
The Church of Our Lady of Victory
The present church was completed and consecrated in October 2006on the 14th anniversary of the martyrdom. His Korean title, the "Our Lady of Victory Church" literally means "Our Lady of Victory Church." It was raised on the hill, overlooking the sea and the land associated with the executions.
The advocation illuminates the history of Galmaemot from the paschal mystery. Christian victory does not consist in avoiding the cross or imposing itself by force. It is Christ's victory over sin and death, lived by martyrs through fidelity and accompanied by Mary, who remained by the cross.
Five saints and an unnamed crowd
The five main martyrs of Galmaemot were canonized by John Paul II in Seoul on 6 May 1984, within the group of 103 Korean martyrs. His stories gather different vocations: a bishop, two priests missionaries, a catechist and a father of the family who offered his home to form future priests.
The memory of the sanctuary also extends to those who died without a complete record of their names. The Christian community remembers them as witnesses known to God. Therefore, Galmaemot unites the documented history with the prayer grateful to many anonymous faithful.
A place for the pilgrimage
The compound includes the church, commemorative spaces and a museum opened in 2008. The pilgrim can contemplate the coast, know the history of persecution and celebrate faith in the same landscape where other Christians confessed it to the end.
The presence of Our Lady of Victory offers a maternal reading of the path: Mary does not separate the disciples from the follow-up of Jesus, but helps them to persevere. His victory is inseparable from his Son's Passover.
Verified location
The directory of the Korean Catholic Church identifies the sanctuary in Yengbo-ri 375-- 2, Boryeong, and gives as road address 610 Ocheon- haean- ro. The navigation document linked to the establishment places the enclosure in 36.4279823, 126.5075454 (WGS-84). The position coincides with the Yeongbo-ri coast complex and not with the Boryeong administrative centre.
Prayer to Our Lady of the Victory of Galmaemot
Holy Mary, Our Lady of Victory, who you remained faithful to the cross, accompanies those who suffer for their faith and strengthens those who fear. Show us your Son's humble victory: forgive, persevere and give life for love. It keeps the memory of the martyrs of Galmaemot and leads Korea on the path of reconciliation, freedom and peace. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Official portal of the Catholic Church in Korea: history of the sanctuary, martyrs and church of Our Lady of Victory.
- Korean Catholic Directory: diocesan division, direction and data of the sanctuary.
- Academy of Korean Studies: historical context of Galmaeot.
- Korea Road: location and presentation of the pilgrimage site.
- Establishment mapping: checking the site coordinates.
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