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Father Joseph Kim retired July 1 as the founding pastor of Holy Korean Martyrs in Woodlawn. (Courtesy Rick Lippenholz/Archdiocese of Baltimore)

In Baltimore, Father Kim helped create America’s first official Korean parish

July 13, 2021
By Matthew Liptak
Catholic Review
Filed Under: #IamCatholic, Feature, Local News, News, Retirement, Urban Vicariate

Father Joseph Kim was born in North Korea and has been a longtime pastor of Holy Korean Martyrs in Woodlawn. (Courtesy Rick Lippenholz/Archdiocese of Baltimore)

WOODLAWN – Father Joseph Kim began his Catholic faith journey in North Korea, just before the Korean War. 

Kim’s father, a former seminarian, took the toddler and the rest of his family to  South Korea, to avoid persecution of Catholics by the Communist regime in the North. 

That momentous move led to Father Kim being called to Baltimore – and helping create what he said was the first official Roman Catholic Korean parish in the United States, Holy Korean Martyrs.

Father Kim, 74, retired July 1 and celebrated his last Mass at Holy Korean Martyrs on the Fourth of July weekend, when he formally said goodbye to the congregation of about 400 families where he had been the only pastor. Parishioners said he rarely took a break from his duty as their shepherd. Father Kim, meanwhile, said he was called by God to tend to Korean Catholics in America.

Father Kim visited with the Catholic Review July 8, offering a blessing at both the beginning and conclusion of an interview. Sung Kim, a parishioner and friend of Father Kim, helped interpret.

Father Kim was ordained a priest in Taeku, South Korea, in July 1974. He served as a chaplain in the South Korean Army from 1978 to 1982. By then, much of his family, which included four brothers and six sisters, had come to the United States.

“My family had emigrated here,” Father Kim said. “They were living in California. After I finished my military service I wanted to visit them.”

Sung Kim (left), a friend of Father Joseph Kim (right), serves as a translator for the pastor of Holy Korean Martyrs in Woodlawn. (Matthew Liptak/For the Catholic Review)

While on the West Coast, Father Kim said he met many younger Koreans who felt underserved by the Catholic Church. Many would go to Mass, hindered by a language barrier.

“Their agonies, cultural differences and hard times living out the Catholic faith – he thought it was God’s call to serve,” Sung Kim translated. 

That call first manifested itself in four years serving the Korean congregations in  the Archdiocese of Boston. In 1988, Father Kim accepted an invitation to join the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where he would be incardinated.

In talking of his faith community’s accomplishments, Father Kim described an  “extraordinary” relationship with the archbishops of Baltimore, starting with Archbishop William D. Borders and continuing under Cardinal William H. Keeler and their successors.

Father Kim’s parish began at the former St. Bernard in the Waverly section of Baltimore, as a Korean National Parish in 1989. In 1997, the parish moved to the campus of the former St. Lawrence Parish, on Security Boulevard.

“He (Father Kim) received extraordinary support from the archbishop,” Sung Kim said. “He said that for the first time they made this parish as a national canonical parish for the Korean people. He’s proud of that.”

The future of the parish is promising, as Holy Korean Martyrs has raised $3.5 million out of $12 million needed to build a new church.

“In this community, raising $3.5 million was a significant achievement for future generations,” Father Kim said.

Father Kim also helped the parish spearhead the creation of Catholic Charities of Baltimore’s Holy Korean Martyrs senior community. Its complex includes 74 rent-assisted apartments.

“It’s open to everyone in the community,” Sung Kim explained. “(It) was based on observations that older members were getting aged.”

Father Kim also promotes vocations. Twice a year Holy Korean Martyrs sponsors a retreat in the former convent at St. Bernard, as well as a summer camp and other opportunities. That bore fruit, in a priest and a religious sister.

Father Joseph Kim, center, pastor of Holy Korean Martyrs in Woodlawn, is shown at a vocations camp his parish sponsored. The priest has long promoted religious vocations. (Courtesy Father Joseph Kim)

“Parish Day,” held on the third Sunday of September, commemorates the Feast Day of the Holy Korean Martyrs who gave the church its name, 104 Korean Catholics who were martyred for their faith in the 19th century and canonized in South Korea by St. John Paul II in 1984.

Those celebrating the retiring pastor’s ministry include Donsik Kim, who joined the parish 16 years ago. When he arrived in Baltimore and met Father Kim, the priest asked if needed food.

“Korean men don’t usually cook. It really made me feel very comfortable,” said Donsik Kim, who will miss Father Kim. “I really feel we are losing a traditional priest. As my friend, as our pastor, I really congratulate him, but I’m not really happy.”

Father Kim said that he’s tried to emulate St. Joseph in his devotion to service. He thanked the members of his parish and Archbishop William E. Lori for his support. Father Haechul Chung, the former associate pastor, became pastor July 1.

Father Kim plans to travel to California to visit family for a while, and do some fishing, but said he will be back.

“Baltimore is my home,” Father Kim said. 

Father Joseph Kim

Born: March 6, 1947, Kumpori, North Korea

Ordained: July 5, 1974, Taeku, South Korea

South Korean assignments: Assistant pastor, Cathedral of Tae-Gu, 1974-75; assistant pastor, 1975-76; pastor, Ha-Yang, 1976-78; Army chaplain, 1978-82

North American Assignments: Montreal Korean Community, 1982-84; Boston Korean Community, 1984-88; Holy Korean Martyrs, Baltimore and Woodlawn, 1988-2021.

On his path to the United States: “My family had emigrated here. They were living in California. After I finished my military service I wanted to visit them.”

Also see

First African-American priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Father Donald Sterling, set for retirement

Monsignor Farmer will remain active in pro-life movement after retirement

Father Roach, noted church historian and longtime pastor, will stay active in retirement

Father Simmons retiring as the oldest active priest in the archdiocese

Monsignor Cummings, former Navy chaplain and longtime pastor, ready for retirement

Father Ruane, known for empowering laity, retiring as pastor of Howard County parish

Approaching retirement, Monsignor Luca leaves monumental legacy of parish expansion and pastoral sensitivity

As he prepares to retire, Father Muth says welcoming is a hallmark of St. Matthew Parish

Soul physician: As retirement nears, daily Mass remains a constant for Father Whatley

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Matthew Liptak

Matthew Liptak is an independent journalist from Severn with stories published at many news outlets including the Catholic Review, Reuters, Readers Digest and the Bay Weekly. Most recently he has worked as a staff writer for Citizen Soldier Magazine, the official magazine of the U.S. Army National Guard. Matt is also an advocate for the environment. He organizes "Friends of Severn Run Environmental Area" on Facebook.

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