An event in Auburn on Monday will mark the anniversary of a Catholic bishop’s martyrdom.
The Holy Family Organization to Preserve and Endure (HOPE) will hold a candlelight march on the sidewalk in front of Holy Family Church to mark the 74th anniversary of the death of Bishop Patrick James Byrne. The event will also feature recollections of his life and prayer. The march begins at 5:30p.
Born in Washington DC in 1888, Byrne was raised in Auburn where he attended Holy Family School and Church until returning to DC at the age of 16.
In 1915, he became a priest, later becoming the first apostolic delegate to Korea. During the Korean War, he was captured by North Korean forces in Seoul and arrested after refusing to denounce the US, the United Nations, and the Vatican. After being tortured with a 100-mile march in frigid conditions, Byrne developed pneumonia and died on November 25, 1950.
Byrne has since been nominated for sainthood. If Byrne is made a saint, HOPE believes Holy Family Church would be the most appropriate spot for a shrine as it provided a foundation for his faith and his inspiration to join the priesthood.
HOPE has been working to have the church, which closed in June, designated as a local landmark and preserved for Catholic use.
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