Communication on Jan. 30, 2004
| * Religious Determine to Commit Themselves to Social Evangelization through Inner Renewal On the occasion of the World Day for Consecrated Life, to be observed on February 2, 2004, the Rev. Paul Oh Sang-seon, O.F.M., President of the Korean Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life, issued a message. In the message, the Rev. Oh called for the commitment of consecrated persons to the evangelization of the Church and society in Korea by seeking inner renewal, individually or communally, saying, "All consecrated men and women in Korea should step up their efforts for spiritual growth of the Catholic Church in Korea and to build a better world." "On one hand, consecrated persons are asked by the world to make good friends of the marginalized and to be the instruments bringing peace and reconciliation to this world where wars, violence, conflicts, tension, hatred and distrust prevail. The Church, on the other hand, urges them to be reborn as spiritual servants as they are specialists in prayer and spirituality within the Church," he said. He also expressed appreciation for the "constant and deep affection of Bishops, priests, lay brothers and sisters," thanks to whom they could fulfill the mission entrusted to them by God. He concluded the message asking "affectionate concern for the vocation to consecrated life" so that religious can carry out their mission successfully responding to the demand of the world and the Church. * The Last Maryknoll Priest in the Diocese of Cheongju Retires From the Mission The Rev. Robert M. Lilly, O.M.M., 77, the only and last Maryknoll priest in the Diocese of Cheongju, retired from the pastor of Yeonpung Martyrs' Shrine as of January 28, 2004, closing the fifty years of beautiful relationship between the Maryknoll missionaries and the Diocese of Cheongju. "With other Maryknoll missionaries I personally also have seen many fruits in Cheongju for more than forty years," he recalled. "When I came here first in 1960, there was no Korean priest at all in the Diocese. Now the Diocese has 120 Korean priests, Kkottongnae (social welfare facilities), Catholic-run Yangeop High School and three shrines. It is a big growth. So I can leave now with gratitude and comfort." Maryknoll missionaries started the mission in Chungcheng area in 1953, right after the Korean War, when the Apostolic Vicar of Seoul entrusted the pastoral care of the Vicariate Forane of Chungcheongbuk-do to Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers. Since then, and even after the pastoral competence returned to Korean clergy in 1970, Maryknoll missionaries have made a great contribution to laying the foundation of the Diocese and to its development. Besides the pastoral care of the faithful in the Diocese, they carried out various works of social welfare, education and apostolate, such as the introduction of Legion of Mary, the establishment of schools, dispensaries and social welfare facilities. The Rev. Felix Kang Hee-seong, Pastoral Director of the Diocese of Cheongju, valued the role Maryknoll missionaries played in the growth and development of the Diocese, saying, "Thanks to them, our Diocese could have laid the foundation of mission. Maybe more than half of the parish churches in our Diocese were constructed with their efforts and prayers." |