Audiovisual Material Presenting Catholic Religious life Released

The men and women Religious Societies in Korea produced an audiovisual material (duration: 43 minutes), entitled "Beyond the World and into the World - Visiting the men and women missionary and religious societies in Korea", which presents the life of Catholic religious and missionaries.

This audiovisual material planned and produced jointly by the Korea Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Association of Major Superiors of Women Religious in Korea, had a two-year of working period and was produced with the cooperation of photographer team of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), which shooted a special documentary for 2007 Christmas about monastic life, entitled "Longer stair than the heaven - Visiting the men and women Catholic religious orders".

It is true that the religious life of Catholic religious has not been much known to the ordinary public, compared with that of other religions in Korea. Sometimes, even the Catholics have felt a difficulty to approach them.

Thus, the production of this audiovisual material is considered very opportune and meaningful, especially in those days where people leading a life imbued with materialism feel a deep spiritual emptiness and seek refuge and vitality for their exhausted soul and heart. In response to this spiritual aspiration of our contemporaries, Catholic monasteries and convents are beginning to open their door to the world. Therefore, this material is expected to help the people to look back over their past and find a way for richer spiritual life through meditation and self-discipline.

Rev. Anselm Park Jae-chan (O.S.B.), Secretary of the Korean Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic life, in charge of whole production of the material, explained the purpose of its production, saying "On the occasion of 120th anniversary of entry of women religious orders into Korea and 100th anniversary of entry of men religious orders into Korea, we produced this audiovisual material, hoping it offers an opportunity to share the spiritual enlightenment Catholic religious attained through the encounter with God and to approach the worldly people.

The material is comprised of two parts : in first part 'Beyond the world', are presented the religious life (poverty, chastity and obedience), Introduction to the process of religious life, daily life of religious (contemplative orders and apostolic orders); in second part 'Into the world' are presented the life sharing God's love with neighbors and the life of evangelization.

4,000 DVDs will be first produced and distributed to each religious order, nationwide parishes and Catholic associations to be used for the instruction of catechumens and re-evangelization of the faithful, as well as for the introduction of the religious life of Catholic religious to non-Catholics.