A French missionary priest of the Paris Foreign Missions Society martyred in Korea in 1866 at twenty-eight, among the 103 Korean Martyrs.

Saint Pierre Aumaître was a French priest of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Étrangères de Paris), martyred at Galmaemot, near Boryeong in Korea’s Chungcheong province, on March 30, 1866, at only twenty-eight years of age. His death came during the great persecution of Catholics launched by the Korean regent Heungseon Daewongun in 1866, one of the deadliest anti-Christian campaigns in Korean history. Beatified in 1968, he was canonized in 1984 by Pope John Paul II among the 103 Korean Martyrs.

Quick Facts

• Born: 1837, France
• Died: March 30, 1866, Galmaemot, Boryeong, South Korea (age 28)
• Beatified: 1968 · Canonized: 1984
• Order: Paris Foreign Missions Society

Who Was Saint Pierre Aumaître?

Pierre Aumaître traveled from France as a young priest of the Paris Foreign Missions Society to serve the small, often clandestine Catholic community of Korea, entering the country secretly at a time when Christianity remained officially banned. He was captured and executed at Galmaemot, near Boryeong, on March 30, 1866, at just twenty-eight years old, in the opening months of a persecution that would ultimately claim thousands of Korean Catholics along with several other foreign missionary priests.

Historical Setting

Korea’s Catholic community, planted largely through the efforts of Korean laypeople who had encountered Christian texts in China before any missionary priest set foot in the country, endured recurring persecution throughout the nineteenth century as the ruling Joseon dynasty viewed the faith as subversive to Confucian social order. The 1866 persecution under the regent Heungseon Daewongun was especially severe, triggered in part by fears of foreign, particularly French, influence, and it claimed the lives of several French missionary bishops and priests along with thousands of Korean believers.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Pierre Aumaître

The Church remembers Pierre Aumaître as one of the French missionaries who risked entry into a country still closed to Christianity in order to serve its hidden Catholic community, paying for that mission with his life within months of the persecution’s outbreak.

Canonization and Feast Day

Pope John Paul II canonized Pierre Aumaître on May 6, 1984, in Seoul, together with 102 other Korean Martyrs — Korean laypeople alongside French missionary bishops and priests — in a ceremony held in Korea itself, following his beatification in 1968.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

Aumaître’s willingness to enter a closed and dangerous country for the sake of a hidden Christian community shows the depth of missionary commitment the Church has always asked of those sent to preach the Gospel in hostile circumstances. His example calls today’s Church to support and pray for missionaries serving in similarly difficult or restricted settings.

A Prayer to Saint Pierre Aumaître

Saint Pierre Aumaître, missionary priest and martyr of Korea, you crossed the world to serve a hidden and persecuted flock. Intercede for missionaries today who labor in dangerous or restricted places, that they may serve with the same courage and love you showed. Amen.

Sources

• Vatican.va
• Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Étrangères de Paris) archives
• EWTN (ewtn.com)