The CBCK Committee for the Lay Apostolate (President: Most Rev. Andrew yeom Su-jeong) held a seminar at Isidore Retreat Center in Jeju Island on March 16, 2012. Two lay persons presented their papers on La Parrocchia Ritrovata: Percorsi di Rinnovamento (The Rediscovered Parish: Paths of Renewal) and La Bellezza di Essere Cristiani (The Beauty of Being Christian), both of which were published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Mr. Francis Xavier Oh Yong-seok, Director of the Institute of Social Apostolate of the Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Korea, in his paper said that the ideal models for the invigoration of pastoral ministry in a parish as a cradle of the faith are: a parish of harmony and communion like a family; a parish centered on the Eucharist; a parish reaching out to the poor and marginalized. He spoke of the suggestions of Fr. Philippe Christory from the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, France and put emphasis on ‘faith life centered on the Eucharist’ in a parish as ‘a special place to meet God.’ He said that it is true pastoral care for a parish to celebrate the liturgy with sensibility for the faithful answering ‘the calling to meet the Lord.’ He also said that a parish centered on the Eucharist can bring together all members of the parish and then it can become a place of communion.

Ms. Julia Kim Nam-hi, lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies, Catholic University of Korea, said in her paper on the La Bellezza di Essere Cristiana that “the ecclesiastical laity movement and new communities must answer the calling of Jesus without ‘if’ or ‘however."

La Parrocchia Ritrovata: Percorsi di Rinnovamento contains papers presented at the 22nd plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity held in September, 2006. The papers deal with the fruits of efforts for the revitalization of parishes and the reigniting of passion for mission manifested in the whole world. La Bellezza di Essere Cristiani is the compiled materials of the Second World Congress of Ecclesiastical Movements and New Communities which was held at Locca di Papa, Italy, from May 31 to June 2, 2006.