Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn was born on August 21, 1821, in Korea, into the aristocratic Gimhae Kim clan. Raised in a time when Christianity was forbidden under the Confucian Joseon order, he grew up in a family of courageous converts; his father and other relatives would be martyred for the faith. Baptized at fifteen, Andrew left his homeland to prepare for the priesthood, studying first in Macau and also spending time in the Philippines, where he is still lovingly honored. After nine years of formation, he was ordained a priest in Shanghai in 1844, becoming Korea’s first native Catholic priest. He returned quietly to Korea to serve the hidden Church, preaching the Gospel and helping sustain persecuted believers. Arrested during the harsh suppression of Catholics, he endured torture with steadfast faith and was beheaded near Seoul on the Han River on September 16, 1846, at only twenty-five years old. Canonized in 1984 among the Korean Martyrs, he is patron of Korea and the Korean clergy. His feast day is September 20.

Saint John Yi Yun-il was born in Korea in 1822, and lived an ordinary, faithful life as a husband and father, earning his living as a farmer. In the midst of a growing and dangerous hostility toward the Church, he also served as a catechist, patiently teaching the Christian faith and helping others remain steadfast when public witness could cost everything. During the great persecution of 1866, John was arrested and taken to Gwandeokjeong, a military training center in what is now Daegu, South Korea. There he endured brutal flogging until the flesh of his limbs was torn, yet he would not renounce Christ. His courage remained unshaken, and he was finally put to death by beheading on January 21, 1867, sealing his testimony with his blood. Venerated as a martyr, he was canonized among the 103 Korean Martyrs by Pope Saint John Paul II on May 6, 1984. He is a patron of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu. His feast is celebrated with the Korean Martyrs on September 20.

Saint Just de Bretenières (1838–1866) was a French Catholic priest and missionary, born in Chalon-sur-Saône. Drawn to serve Christ beyond his homeland, he devoted his life to the work of the Gospel, offering his priesthood in mission with a generous and faithful heart. His witness was sealed in martyrdom in 1866, and the Church venerates him as a saint and a Christian martyr—one who remained steadfast in love for Christ even unto death. Remembered each year on September 20, Saint Just de Bretenières invites the faithful to pray for courage in discipleship and for missionaries who carry the hope of Christ to the ends of the earth.

Saint Theopista, born in Rome around the year 100, is remembered by the Church as a saint whose life belongs to the earliest generations of Christian witness. Though few details of her earthly story have come down to us, her name endures as a sign of faithful perseverance in a time close to the Church’s beginnings. She died about 120, leaving behind a quiet legacy of devotion that continues to inspire prayer and trust in God. Saint Theopista is honored in a special way as the patron of Monsampolo del Tronto, where the faithful look to her intercession with gratitude. Her feast is celebrated on September 20, inviting believers to remember that holiness is often hidden, yet never forgotten by the Lord.