Catholic saint biography
St. Stephen Min Kuk-ka
- Lived:
- d. 1840 — 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.
Read the sources for this biography
Biography
Stephen Min Kuk-ka entered the Catholic Church with members of his family. After losing two wives and a daughter, he supported himself by copying books by hand. His teaching and example led others toward the faith, and his appointment as a catechist gave this work a more regular form.
Arrested late in the persecution, Stephen refused demands to renounce Catholicism. While confined, he encouraged prisoners who had abandoned their faith to return to it. Severe beatings were followed by his death by strangulation in Seoul in January 1840. His biography connects a quiet craft and repeated bereavement with persistent service as a lay teacher.
From the Saint Discovery blog
Keep exploring your faith
Practical guides to prayer, the saints, and living the Catholic faith.
Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints? Intercession Explained
Why do Catholics pray to saints? Learn how intercession differs from worship, how it relates to Jesus, and a simple way to ask a saint to pray for you.
A next step with your saintRead the article Living the seasonsHow to Celebrate Your Patron Saint's Feast Day at Home
Celebrate your patron saint's feast day with prayer, a short biography, and an act of kindness. A practical plan for families, sponsors, and individuals.
A next step with your saintRead the articleFrom reading to reflection
What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Stephen Min Kuk-ka, 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 individual CBCK identity 59, personal name, family relationships and death sequence against all 487 published records and archived legacy identities. Distinct new individual; source names retained for search.
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.
Suggest a correction to this biography
How we research these pages and handle corrections · Directory corrections log