James Zhou Wenmo
Chinese catholic priest and missionary sent to Korea, martyr, catholic blessed
Feast: 31 May (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
James Zhou Wenmo is honoured together with others as The Korean Martyrs. From that page:
The Church in Korea was founded by lay people: around 1780 a scholar, Lee Byeok, read Matteo Ricci's book on the true doctrine of God brought from Beijing, embraced the faith and gathered the first community before any priest arrived. From 1802 the state banned Christianity and ordered Christians killed, and persecution went on until religious freedom came in 1882.
Among the thousands who died, 103 were canonised together, among them the first Korean-born priest, St Andrew Kim Taegon, martyred on 16 September 1846, and the lay catechist St Paul Chong Hasang, who walked to China fifteen times to beg for priests and was martyred on 22 September 1839.
Shared write-up of the group, until this page is written up in full.
The miracles
Limited information is available on this saint so far.
Why that counted as sanctity
Limited information is available on this saint so far.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- The Korean Martyrs Saint honoured together
- Juliana Kim Yeon-i Blessed“She learned Catholic doctrine from Agatha Han Sin-ae and was baptised by the first missionary priest in Korea, the Chinese Father James Zhou Wenmo, at the house of the catechist Columba Kang Wan-suk.” — this site's research
- Suzan Kang Gyeong-bok Blessed“After helping the missionary Father James Zhou Wenmo to escape, she was captured by the police; she recanted at first, but after repenting she prepared to face martyrdom with seven other brothers and sisters in the faith.” — this site's research
- Santi, beati e testimoni - BeatoGiacomo Zhou Wen-mo — Santiebeati.it, the Italian Catholic saints dictionary, carries a full entry: BeatoGiacomo Zhou Wen-mo - Sacerdote e martire | Suzhou, Cina, 1752 – Saenamteo, Seul, Corea del Sud, 31 maggio 1801.
- Wikidata Q12617340 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Not yet written up in full. The Catholic source above names this person; the name, dates and step come from Wikidata and are not yet checked against Church records.