Communications on Jan. 4, 2002
* More than Half of Tepid Believers Want to Start Christian Life Anew
Most of lukewarm believers who have kept themselves away from the Church due to various reasons want to return to faith life according to a survey made at the end of the last year in the Archdiocese of Seoul.
According to the survey two of ten find the reason of their lukewarm faith life in other people around them while the majority of them it in themselves, and about half of them said that they wanted to start their Christian life anew.
The respondents listed as the reason of their unfaithful life 'casual habit of not attending Sunday Mass', 'works on Sunday', 'Personal doubts in the faith', and 'uncomfortable with Confession', 'not understanding meaning of liturgy and finding it complex', 'boring homily' etc.
Most of respondents(93.7%) answered that they were invited by their neighbors to go to Church again, and about half of them(54.9%) said they wanted to start Christian life again 'very much'.
Other facts revealed from the survey are as follows; 46.6% of the respondents stopped going to Church within five years after they were baptized, and, in particular, 18.7%, within one year after; considerable number of people came to be lukewarm in their twenties(22.7%), thirties(19.1%) and forties(18.9%).
The survey conducted by the Witness Study Committee under the Preparatory Committee for Synod of Archdiocese of Seoul(Chairman: Prof. Han Hong-sun) conducted to the 534 lethargics from nine parishes in November, 2001 to comprehend the situation of lukewarm faithful better which is emerged as one of the most urgent problems of the Church in Korea.
The result will be used as important basic material for drafting the bills of the synod of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
* Late Sister Koh's Dedication for Peace and Reconciliation of People Commemorated
ISR-Korea, an international NGO group working for reconciliation of people, (Joint Representative: Kim Jin-hyeon, former Minister of Science and Technology) decided to undertake relief project aimed at assisting South-North Korea reconciliation in commemoration of the late Sister Gemma Koh Do-im who died on Nov. 19, 2001.
The ISR-Korea which is the branch in Korea of the Institute for Strategic Reconciliation having its headquarter in Washington D.C. and working for people suffering from international and local conflicts and disasters made public its decision to help North Koreans from 2002 to commemorate the late Sister Gemma Koh Do-im for her unreserved life time dedication for peace and reconciliation of the world.
Accordingly, the ISR will send North Korea medical supplies such as medicine for inflammation of liver and provide computer education to middle and high school students of North Korea.
The late Sister Koh dedicated her whole life to education and service for neighbors, especially for peace and reconciliation," said Mr. Jeon Yeong-il, Director of the ISR-Korea, and went on "we the members of the Institute, in cooperation with supporters and supporting organizations, will follow faithfully the meaningful works for which she offered her entire life.”
The late Sister Gemma Koh Do-im joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1962 and dedicated herself to educational field as principal of Sacred Heart Girls' High School and Dean of the College of Human Ecology of the Catholic University of Korea, Seongsim Campus. In 1999 she was elected to the Regional Superior of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Korea.
Beside of her involvement for local and international activity for peace and reconciliation she made a significant contribution to promote Korean women status in Korean society and within the Church in Korea.
From March, 2001, she had been the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the ISR and the Joint Representative of the ISR-Korea.
Most of lukewarm believers who have kept themselves away from the Church due to various reasons want to return to faith life according to a survey made at the end of the last year in the Archdiocese of Seoul.
According to the survey two of ten find the reason of their lukewarm faith life in other people around them while the majority of them it in themselves, and about half of them said that they wanted to start their Christian life anew.
The respondents listed as the reason of their unfaithful life 'casual habit of not attending Sunday Mass', 'works on Sunday', 'Personal doubts in the faith', and 'uncomfortable with Confession', 'not understanding meaning of liturgy and finding it complex', 'boring homily' etc.
Most of respondents(93.7%) answered that they were invited by their neighbors to go to Church again, and about half of them(54.9%) said they wanted to start Christian life again 'very much'.
Other facts revealed from the survey are as follows; 46.6% of the respondents stopped going to Church within five years after they were baptized, and, in particular, 18.7%, within one year after; considerable number of people came to be lukewarm in their twenties(22.7%), thirties(19.1%) and forties(18.9%).
The survey conducted by the Witness Study Committee under the Preparatory Committee for Synod of Archdiocese of Seoul(Chairman: Prof. Han Hong-sun) conducted to the 534 lethargics from nine parishes in November, 2001 to comprehend the situation of lukewarm faithful better which is emerged as one of the most urgent problems of the Church in Korea.
The result will be used as important basic material for drafting the bills of the synod of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
* Late Sister Koh's Dedication for Peace and Reconciliation of People Commemorated
ISR-Korea, an international NGO group working for reconciliation of people, (Joint Representative: Kim Jin-hyeon, former Minister of Science and Technology) decided to undertake relief project aimed at assisting South-North Korea reconciliation in commemoration of the late Sister Gemma Koh Do-im who died on Nov. 19, 2001.
The ISR-Korea which is the branch in Korea of the Institute for Strategic Reconciliation having its headquarter in Washington D.C. and working for people suffering from international and local conflicts and disasters made public its decision to help North Koreans from 2002 to commemorate the late Sister Gemma Koh Do-im for her unreserved life time dedication for peace and reconciliation of the world.
Accordingly, the ISR will send North Korea medical supplies such as medicine for inflammation of liver and provide computer education to middle and high school students of North Korea.
The late Sister Koh dedicated her whole life to education and service for neighbors, especially for peace and reconciliation," said Mr. Jeon Yeong-il, Director of the ISR-Korea, and went on "we the members of the Institute, in cooperation with supporters and supporting organizations, will follow faithfully the meaningful works for which she offered her entire life.”
The late Sister Gemma Koh Do-im joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1962 and dedicated herself to educational field as principal of Sacred Heart Girls' High School and Dean of the College of Human Ecology of the Catholic University of Korea, Seongsim Campus. In 1999 she was elected to the Regional Superior of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Korea.
Beside of her involvement for local and international activity for peace and reconciliation she made a significant contribution to promote Korean women status in Korean society and within the Church in Korea.
From March, 2001, she had been the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the ISR and the Joint Representative of the ISR-Korea.