Communication on March 11, 2005
* Committee for the Lay Apostolate Organize Its Structure
For the first time since its establishment, the CBCK Committee for the Lay Apostolate organized its structure and appointed 13 members to activate its operation.
On March 2, 2005, the Committee held the first general assembly and appointed 13 members on a three-year term, including priests, women religious and laypersons.
Reaching a consensus on the need to present the lay Catholics the identity and right direction of lay apostolate, the members will have an in-house seminar from April 23-24, and a joint seminar with Pastoral Directors of each diocese from June 23-24, to set up concrete plans.
At the first meeting, the Most Rev. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, President of the Committee, asked the newly appointed members "to support the lay Catholics to fulfill their roles and mission in the Church and to discern the right direction of the lay apostolate to guide them."
The Committee was established by the decision of the 1994 Spring General Assembly of the CBCK as a national body of the episcopal conference but has not been able to develop positive activities. Thus, the Committee set up an ad-hoc committee in May 2004 to prepare its statutes and organize the structure.
* Catholic Health Association Established
On March 5, 2005, the Catholic Health Association of Korea was launched and held the first general assembly.
Some 60 participants, including the Most Rev. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, President of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana," offered a Mass and made commitment to "serve the sick and the afflicted by making present the image of Jesus within us."
They also announced a declaration and resolved: to cooperate and unite with each other for the development of the Catholic medical services and of the Association; to recognize that serving in the name of Christ constitutes our usual life; to witness to the love of God and proclaim the Gospel through the service of healing.
Placing under the wings of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana," the Association is composed of some 30,000 members from the Catholic Hospital Association, the Catholic Doctors' Association, the Catholic Nurses' Association and the Catholic Pharmacists' Association.
The Association will carry out various undertakings in the spirit of the Catholic teaching, including pro-life campaign, overseas medical mission, home-based nursing service provided on the parochial level and formation of the members.
Bishop You said, "It is significant that associations with more than 20 years of long history united together for one purpose. Hopefully, this Association can serve as a beacon in practicing the love of God."
For the first time since its establishment, the CBCK Committee for the Lay Apostolate organized its structure and appointed 13 members to activate its operation.
On March 2, 2005, the Committee held the first general assembly and appointed 13 members on a three-year term, including priests, women religious and laypersons.
Reaching a consensus on the need to present the lay Catholics the identity and right direction of lay apostolate, the members will have an in-house seminar from April 23-24, and a joint seminar with Pastoral Directors of each diocese from June 23-24, to set up concrete plans.
At the first meeting, the Most Rev. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, President of the Committee, asked the newly appointed members "to support the lay Catholics to fulfill their roles and mission in the Church and to discern the right direction of the lay apostolate to guide them."
The Committee was established by the decision of the 1994 Spring General Assembly of the CBCK as a national body of the episcopal conference but has not been able to develop positive activities. Thus, the Committee set up an ad-hoc committee in May 2004 to prepare its statutes and organize the structure.
* Catholic Health Association Established
On March 5, 2005, the Catholic Health Association of Korea was launched and held the first general assembly.
Some 60 participants, including the Most Rev. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, President of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana," offered a Mass and made commitment to "serve the sick and the afflicted by making present the image of Jesus within us."
They also announced a declaration and resolved: to cooperate and unite with each other for the development of the Catholic medical services and of the Association; to recognize that serving in the name of Christ constitutes our usual life; to witness to the love of God and proclaim the Gospel through the service of healing.
Placing under the wings of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana," the Association is composed of some 30,000 members from the Catholic Hospital Association, the Catholic Doctors' Association, the Catholic Nurses' Association and the Catholic Pharmacists' Association.
The Association will carry out various undertakings in the spirit of the Catholic teaching, including pro-life campaign, overseas medical mission, home-based nursing service provided on the parochial level and formation of the members.
Bishop You said, "It is significant that associations with more than 20 years of long history united together for one purpose. Hopefully, this Association can serve as a beacon in practicing the love of God."