Blessed Saba Ji Hwang

Saba Ji Hwang (Korean: 지 황 사바; born 1767 in Seoul, Korea; died June 28, 1795, in the same city) was a Korean martyr and a blessed of the Catholic Church. Ji Hwang was born in 1767 into the family of a royal musician. After learning about the Catholic faith, he became a Christian. Beginning in 1789, leaders of the Korean Catholic community sought to bring priests into their country. An attempt in 1791 failed, and further efforts were interrupted by persecution. Efforts resumed in 1793, when Saba Ji Hwang and John Pak traveled to China. As a result of their visit, the Apostolic Vicar of Beijing, Alexandre de Gouvea, sent James Zhou Wenmo to Korea in 1794. The missionary was secretly escorted across the border by Saba Ji Hwang and John Pak. Upon arriving in Seoul, James Zhou Wenmo stayed at the home of Matthias Choe In-gil, where he studied the Korean language. After some time, his presence in Korea became known to authorities hostile to Christians. While James Zhou Wenmo managed to escape, the owner of the house where he had been hiding, along with Saba Ji Hwang and Paul Yun Yu-il, who had assisted him, were imprisoned. Authorities attempted to force them to reveal the priest's whereabouts and to renounce their faith. When these efforts failed, they were executed on June 28, 1795, and their bodies were thrown into the Han River. Saba Ji Hwang was beatified by Pope Francis on August 16, 2014, as part of a group of 124 Korean martyrs. His feast day is celebrated on May 31 with the group of 124 Korean martyrs.