John Yi Yun-il

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.