Venerable Thomas Choe Yang-eop

Choe Yang-Eop Thomas (1 March 1821 – 15 June 1861), also spelled Ch'oe Yang-Ōp Thomas, was a Korean Roman Catholic priest during the Joseon dynasty, who travelled across Eastern Asia as a seminarian and priest before settling at last after a period of persecution back in his homeland where he administered to hidden Christians until his death. His father was canonized as a saint in 1984 and his mother was beatified in 2014. His cause for sainthood commenced in 2004 in a move that accorded him the title of Servant of God. On 26 April 2016 he was proclaimed to be Venerable after Pope Francis recognized his life of heroic virtue. Choe Yang-Eop Thomas was born in Korea on 1 March 1821 to Saint Francis Choe Kyeong-Hwan and Blessed Mary Yi Seong-rye. During his childhood he followed his father from place to place in order to avoid persecution and settled after a long period of travel in Burisan. Saint Pierre Philibert Maubant (1803–1839) – from the Paris Foreign Missions Society – came to Korea with fellow missionaries of the congregation at the end of 1825 and met with Thomas; the priest was impressed with him so in 1836 took Thomas with him as a seminarian. On 6 February 1836 he was invited to Maubant's home for lessons in Latin – a prerequisite for the priesthood. He and fellow seminarian Andrew Kim Taegon (1821–1846) were selected to live with Maubant and arrived there on 14 March 1836 and 11 July respectively; the two lived and studied with the priest. On 3 December 1836 he and his fellow seminarians placed their hands of the Bible and took an oath of obedience before setting off for further education in Macao; the group arrived there on 7 June 1837. In November 1837 he suspended his studies due to the death of his friend and companion Francis Xavier Choe who died of the fever. In 1839 he left for Manila due to disturbances in Macao but returned there at the end of 1839.