We went to the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon located in Bocaue, Bulacan. It was a beautiful shrine dedicated to the first Korean saint canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984.

St. Andrew Kim was the first Korean Catholic priest and is the patron saint of Korean clergy. He studied as a seminarian in Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan, which is now the site of his shrine. In 1846, at the age of 25, he was tortured and beheaded near the Han River in Seoul.

The shrine’s construction started in 2001 and was completed in 2015. It now contains a statue of St. Andrew Kim, a gift from the Archbishop of Seoul in 1986.

The shrine is actually a series of interconnected buildings wherein visitors will be awed by the influence of traditional Korean architecture. Unlike in Korea, where most traditional structures are primarily wooden with concrete foundations, these buildings are made entirely of concrete.

An open pavilion houses a bronze statue of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, beautifully enshrined next to a tall, fruit-bearing mango tree and a 15-tier pagoda.

Adjacent to the pavilion stands the St. Andrew Kim Taegon Church, featuring a simple altar.

The church is surrounded by a concrete bridge where dwarf bamboo shades the pathways leading to a welcoming small chapel. 

The interior of the St. Andrew Kim Chapel is richly adorned with religious mural paintings.

The architectural style of the shrine showcases a thoughtful blend of Korean and old Roman influences. This fusion of diverse designs has resulted in a striking and impressive structure.

The Shrine of St. Andrew Kim Taegon features a main hall that stands out as the most majestic structure within the shrine complex. It now housed a mini-museum showing the life of the Korean saint.