SW News: St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821–1846), the first Korean indigenous Catholic priest and martyr, was honored with a memorial monument at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Tuesday.

The placement of an image of an eastern saint in St. Peter's Basilica's exterior niche is an important historical event since it is the first time such an installation has occurred in the Basilica's history. Cardinal Yoo Heung-Sik, the Vatican's Secretary for the Clergy, stated his intention to dedicate the image to Pope Francis in 2021 to commemorate the bicentennial of Father Kim Tae-gon's birth, and the image was created in reaction to this decision.

Han Jin-seop, a sculptor who majored in sculpting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara, Italy, produced the work of art, and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea funded it. The image of Saint Kim Tae-gon will be consecrated on October 16 at St. Peter's Basilica by Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik. It will be followed by a Thanksgiving Mass.

Bishop Lee Yong-hoon, Cardinal Yeom Jung-jung, Bishop Seo Sang-beom, the head of the Military Religious District, Bishop Kim Jong-gang, the head of Cheongju Diocese, and Bishop Shin Shin-chul, the vicar general of Busan Diocese, have all confirmed their attendance at the upcoming Mass of Thanksgiving and consecration ceremony.

St Andrew Kim is the first Korean to be ordained a Catholic priest and he is the patron of South Korea. In the 19th century, he was martyred for the faith along with 10,000 other Koreans, who were mostly lay believers. Out of the early martyrs, 100 have been raised to the altars along with Andrew and Paul Chong Hasang.