Bishop Patrick James Byrne

The young Patrick Byrne committed himself as a full, active witness to the Catholic faith through the Sacrament of Confirmation at Holy Family Church on September 2, 1900, under Bishop McQuaid.  At the age of 16, when his Aunt Eliza O’Neill died, Patrick Byrne returned to Washington D.C.  After high school, he discerned a calling to the priesthood, and attended St. Charles College, a preparatory school for St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland.  On St. Patrick’s Day in 1911, while in solitude, he learned to accept God’s will and became positive that he should become a missionary priest with the Maryknoll Society. 1  He attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland, and was ordained a priest on June 23, 1915.

One week later, he was the first priest to join the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, better known as the Maryknoll Society.  He was granted permission to found the first Maryknoll mission in Korea in 1923.  At that time, communism was rising in response to Bolshevik revolution in Russia.  The Vatican took a strong position against communism, condemning it as evil. 

During World War II, Father Byrne served as prefect apostolic of Kyoto, Japan.  When the American forces occupied Japan, the Japanese became very anxious that lootings and assaults would take place, and there was a concern that many Japanese would commit suicide.  Father Byrne was respected in Japan, and he was asked to make radio broadcasts to provide reassurance that the American army came to rebuild Japan and bring democracy.  His messages brought a sense of calm to the Japanese people, and not a single life was lost during the occupation.  General MacArthur acknowledged Father Byrne’s contribution to maintaining peace in Japan at a time when there was much confusion and disarray, and he considered Christianity to be the antidote to atheist communism. 3  While General MacArthur was respectfully known in Japan as the “Number 1 American,” Monsignor Byrne was known as the “Number 2 American” 2

At the end of World War II, the Vatican attempted to create public resistance against the spread of communism.  In 1949, Monsignor Byrne was consecrated a bishop and named the Vatican’s first Apostolic Delegate to Korea. 4  His ordination came at a time in the Cold War when Korea was splitting between the North Korea communists, backed by China and the Soviet Union, and the South Korea, backed by the United States.  This appointment was very meaningful to the Koreans, as they interpreted it as the Vatican supporting the creation of South Korea as an independent state. 3  The Korean Catholic Church served a vital link between the Vatican, the South Korean political figures, and the American military government. 3

Bishop Byrne’s first official act as Bishop was to denounce the North Korean communists for their seizure of Catholic priests. 2  Bishop Byrne had condemned the Communists over radio broadcasts, and was accused of serving as a spy for an American-Vatican espionage operation, since he provided information on the location of North Korean soldiers and other strategic information.3

The communists threatened severe retaliation against Bishop Byrne. 3  In 1950, the North Korean army crossed the territorial dividing line with South Korea.  When Bishop Byrne sent other priests and nuns to the south for safety, he stayed beyond, refusing to abandon the people.  He was captured by the Communists and taken prisoner.  Under interrogation, he refused to denounce the United States, the United Nations, and the Vatican, and was sentenced to a 100 mile death march in frigid conditions. 3  He was treated very cruelly by the communists, and died in North Korea on November 25, 1950, suffering from pneumonia, dysentery and beriberi. 3  Just before dying, he told his companions, “After the privilege of my priesthood, I regard this privilege of having suffered for Christ with all of you as the greatest of my life.” 1 

His remains are buried in North Korea.  He has been nominated for sainthood by the South Korean bishops, and is currently recognized as a Servant of God in that process.

Holy Family Church is the church that formed the faith of Bishop Patrick James Byrne: a faith that started in Auburn, and spread throughout Asia.  It is a Catholic faith that continues today throughout Japan, South Korea, and in the underground faith of those North Koreans who continue to practice Catholicism at great risk to their safety and that of their families.  This Catholic faith is all that the North Korean Catholics have to hold onto, to this day.  

Bishop Byrne was one of the last Catholic bishops to build Catholic churches in North Korea.  He witnessed those churches that he worked tirelessly to build ultimately end up demolished by the Communists, while he walked on the cruel Tiger Death March.  As if that isn't unfortunate enough, we can only imagine how he must feel about the prospect of Holy Family Church - the church that formed his faith - potentially being demolished if Auburn Catholics fail to care for it. 

The exterior statue of the Blessed Mother with the child Jesus above the front door of Holy Family Church was donated by Bishop Byrne’s cousin, in honor if his Aunt Eliza and Uncle Henry O’Neill, who raised him in the Catholic faith in Auburn.  

Holy Family Church would serve as a most appropriate shrine in honor of Bishop Patrick James Byrne and his martyrdom, so that his story may inspire people to lives of faith, courage and self-sacrifice for the good of mankind.