* Thanksgiving Mass for the Most Rev. Paul Choi Deok-ki, Bishop Emeritus of Suwon

A thanksgiving Mass for the Most Rev. Paul Choi Deok-ki, Bishop Emeritus of Suwon, was celebrated at the Cathedral of Jeongja-dong of Suwon on April 6, 2009.

About 2,000 participants, including the Most Rev. Matthias Ri Iong-hoon, the fourth Bishop of Suwon, and the Most Rev. John Chrysostom Kwon Hyeok-ju, Bishop of Andong, many diocesan priests, religious and lay persons, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Bishop Emeritus Choi for his 13 years-long pastoral care in the Diocese of Suwon and prayed for his spiritual and physical health.

In his homily, Bishop Choi explained that he decided to resign from his office for reason of health problems. He said, “I give my thanks to all of you, Bishop Matthias Ri Iong-hoon, who served as Coadjutor Bishop of Suwon and succeeded me as Bishop of Suwon, diocesan priests, the religious, and the laity, for helping me to perform the ecclesiastical ministry entrusted to me by God as Bishop of Suwon. I will always pray for you.”

At the farewell ceremony following the Mass, Bishop Ri, said, “I, on behalf of all diocesan people, would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to you, my venerable Bishop Choi, for all your efforts made for the development of the Diocese.” He added, “Though you retired from your office, we believe that you will always remain among us as a generous pastor and a spiritual pillar of the Diocese of Suwon.”

The Most Rev. Choi was ordained a priest in 1975 and appointed as Coadjutor Bishop of Suwon in 1996. Since 1997 he has served as Bishop of Suwon for 13 years.