Catholic saint biography
St. Damian Nam Myong-hyok
- Lived:
- 1802-1839 — Korea
A Catholic liturgical calendar date has not yet been verified for this entry. Execution dates are not treated as feast days; a shared celebration requires a scoped calendar citation.
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Biography
Damian Nam Myong-hyok became Catholic around the age of thirty and received baptism from the priest Pacificus Yu. As a catechist, he taught in his home and cared for sick neighbors. He also kept religious items belonging to Bishop Laurent Imbert.
When Damian and his family were arrested in 1839, those items drew particular attention during questioning. He refused to reveal the names of other Catholics and suffered severe torture. Before his execution in Seoul that May, he wrote to his imprisoned wife about their faith and hope of reunion. His wife, Maria Yi Yon-hui, was also later martyred.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Damian Nam Myong-hyok, take a moment to consider:
- Which event or decision in this life stood out to you?
- What virtue would you like to understand or practice more deeply?
- What small action could you take today in response?
These are reflection prompts from Saint Discovery, not quotations from the saint.
Sources and further reading
Biography source comparison recorded on . This is an AI-assisted comparison, not independent human or ecclesiastical approval.
What the recorded review covers
Individual Catholic institutional source review; original concise factual summary. Compared canonical and source name variants, family relationships and death details against 486 legacy records and all 21 prior additions (447 published records). CBCK individual 12 is a distinct person, not either existing Korean saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon or Paul Chong Ha-sang.
A source list helps you check an account; it does not establish that every claim is certain. Follow the biography’s qualifications about historical evidence, traditions and feast calendars.
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