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Saint Siméon-François Berneux
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Saint Siméon-François Berneux

Vicar apostolic of Korea, beheaded in 1866 after ten years building up the Church

Rank
Saint
Kind
Bishop, Martyr, Missionary
Life
1814 – 1866
Era
19th century
Feast
7 March
Countries
France, South Korea
FranceSouth Korea

Life story

Siméon-François Berneux was born on 14 May 1814 at Château-du-Loir, France. He was ordained a priest on 20 May 1837 and then taught philosophy at the major seminary of Le Mans. On 15 January 1840 he left with the Paris Foreign Missions and reached western Tonkin in January 1841. He was arrested on 11 April 1841 and held at Hué with four other missionaries, sentenced to death with a reprieve, and released in March 1843.

After a stop in Macao he reached the Manchurian mission in March 1844 and became its provicar in 1849. By briefs dated 5 August 1854 he was named bishop of Capse and vicar apostolic of Korea, and he was consecrated on 27 December 1854. He entered Korea in 1856, hid in Seoul and began learning Korean. Over about ten years the Christian community grew by several thousand; a seminary was established and two printing presses were installed.

After a Russian ship appeared in January 1866 and Christians sought religious freedom, persecution followed. He was arrested on 23 February 1866, imprisoned and tortured, and the missionaries Bretenières, Beaulieu and Dorie joined him in prison. The Paris Foreign Missions biography says he was beheaded on 8 March 1866 at Saenamteo, about a league from Seoul, together with those three missionaries; some other sources give 7 March. He was beatified on 6 October 1968 and canonized on 6 May 1984 with 102 other Korean martyrs. The Korean martyrs are celebrated together on 20 September.

Works and witness

  • Ordained in 1837; reached Tonkin in 1841 and was imprisoned at Hué until 1843
  • Became provicar of the Manchurian mission in 1849
  • Consecrated bishop and made vicar apostolic of Korea on 27 December 1854
  • Helped found a seminary and two printing presses in Korea
  • Beheaded in 1866; canonized on 6 May 1984

Saints from the same country

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis de Sales

References

  • IRFA (Institut de recherche France-Asie), missionary record 0455, 'BERNEUX Siméon' (irfa.paris/en/missionnaire/0455-berneux-simeon/)
  • Wikipedia, 'Siméon-François Berneux' (7 March variant: cross-check)

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.