Closing the Year for Priests on June 11, 2010

     The Year for Priests started on June 19, 2009 came to an end on June 11, 2010, Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Each diocese in Korea celebrated the closing Mass, retreats, sports events with other special events.

     His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk, Archbishop of Seoul, said at the Mass that priestly ministry means not to rule the people, but to serve as a servant of God. He also emphasized that they need to try to their best to follow God through prayer because they are chosen by God in spite of their weaknesses and flaws.

     The Most Rev. Thaddeus Cho Hwan-kil, Archdiocesan Administrator of Daegu, said that the faithful respect and are proud of all priests, but they also pay more respect to those devotedly exercising their sacred ministries with mature and warm personality. Bishop Cho asked the faithful to keep praying for the priests to complete their ministry work with proper attitude on their own vocations.

     The Most Rev. Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, Archbishop of Kwangju, said that it was the last day of the Year for Priests, and it also meant a new year for them. Archbishop Kim put emphasis on that this special day gave him a chance to renew his resolution to reply on the help of God with humble prayer and effort until God calls him on his last day.

     The priests and faithful of the diocese of Daejeon went on a pilgrimage together on foot, which realized the meaning of the Year for Priests.