Patrick James Byrne

Patrick James Byrne, M.M. (October 26, 1888 – November 25, 1950) was an American-born Catholic missionary and bishop. As a member of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (Maryknoll) he was assigned to missions in Korea and Japan. He served as the Prefect Apostolic of Pyongyang from 1927 to 1929, Prefect Apostolic of Kyoto from 1937 to 1940, Apostolic Visitor to Korea from 1947 to 1949, and the Apostolic Delegate to Korea from 1949 to 1950. He died in the custody of the Communists in Korea.

Born in Washington, D.C., Patrick Byrne was educated by the Sulpicians at St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore on June 23, 1915.

A week after he was ordained, Byrne was given permission by Cardinal James Gibbons to enter Maryknoll. He served the community in a variety of capacities. He supervised construction projects at Maryknoll and at Scranton, Pennsylvania and then served as the rector of both seminaries. He was the editor of Field Afar, and he served as the community's Vicar General and treasurer.

In 1923 Byrne organized the first Maryknoll Mission to Korea. Four years later on November 9, 1927, Pope Pius XI named him as the Prefect Apostolic of Pyongyang. In 1929 he was a delegate to the first General Chapter of Maryknoll and he was elected to serve as the Assistant Superior General. He resigned his position as Prefect Apostolic on August 12, 1929 so as to take up his new responsibilities. In 1935 Byrne reentered the mission field, this time in Kyoto, Japan. Two years later Pope Pius XI named him the Prefect Apostolic of Kyoto on March 19, 1937. He resigned his office on October 10, 1940 in favor of a Japanese priest as World War II began. Because of his charitable reputation he was not imprisoned during the war, but held under house arrest. The United States Army used him to make radio broadcasts to calm the Japanese people as they occupied to country at the conclusion of the war.

After World War II, Byrne returned to Korea in 1947 as the Apostolic Visitor of the Holy See. Two years later on April 7, 1949 he was named the Titular Bishop of Gazera and Apostolic Delegate to Korea by Pope Pius XII.

Patrick Byrne was consecrated a bishop on June 14, 1949 by Coadjutor Bishop Thomas McDonnell of Wheeling. The principal co-consecrators were Bishops Paul Marie Kinam Ro and Andrien-Joseph Larribeau. He was arrested by the Communists in Korea on July 2, 1950 and put on trial. He was placed on a march that went through the former Maryknoll Mission territory to the Yalu River. Byrne was put of trial again in Pyongyong that resulted in another march that lasted four months. The weather was bad and there was little in the way of food or shelter. Byrne came down with pneumonia and died on November 25, 1950 at the age of 62. He was buried by fellow prisoner, Monsignor Thomas F. Quinlan, S.S.C, who was the Prefect Apostolic of Chuncheon.