Catholic saint biography
St. Maria Won Kwi-im
- Lived:
- d. 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
Maria Won Kwi-im lost her mother in childhood and endured poverty with her father. A Catholic relative took her in, taught her prayers and catechism, and helped her learn embroidery as a means of support. Maria received baptism and chose to remain unmarried.
A neighbor reported her religious belief to the authorities. Though initially discouraged in prison, she recovered her resolve and refused to renounce her faith during interrogation. She was executed with other Catholics in Seoul in July 1839. The bishops' page gives a birth year that does not clearly align with its stated age, so this summary leaves her birth year unconfirmed.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Maria Won Kwi-im, 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 24 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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