The Archdiocese of Gwangju in South Korea has installed 14 catacomb murals in a Catholic cemetery to help the faithful pray and meditate as well as to learn about the early days of the Church and the persecution of Christians.
Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong of Gwangju blessed the murals on the wall behind Catholic Park Cemetery in Damyang county of Gwangju on All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2.
The murals on tiles are based on scenes from the Bible, seven each from the Old and New Testaments. Scenes from the Old Testament include Noah’s ark, the Exodus and the story of Jonah. In the New Testament, there are the parable of the lost sheep, the miracle of the five fish and the resurrection of Lazarus.
The initiative for catacomb murals is the brainchild of Archbishop Kim, who took photos of catacombs in Rome when he studied and obtained a doctoral degree in church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University from 1976-86.
His photos have been improved by a team of professionals and transferred to a tiles format.
Father Andrew Heo Woo-yeong, director of the cemetery, said the murals will help the faithful know about Christians of the early Church and how they gathered secretly to avoid persecution from rulers.