ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Praying the Rosary as support for the missions

Wednesday, 13 October 2021 prayer   marian devotion   mission   evangelization   childhood  

Suwon (Agenzia Fides) - The missionary work continues through the prayer of the Rosary and the distribution of Rosary crowns: this is the initiative of the faithful of the parish of Sanbon, in the diocese of Suwon, who are in contact with various parish priests and missionaries in foreign countries. According to information from Fides, in order to support these missions, the faithful feed and promote groups that pray the Rosary, both in the missionary month of October, which is also the "Month of the Rosary", and throughout the year. In addition, they send material aid and rosaries to parish priests so that they can distribute them among those in need. Nam-gu Jo, a Catholic and president of the pastoral council of the parish, comments to Fides: "It is a gift intended above all for children and young people preparing for First Communion".
Also, old, unused rosaries are collected and recycled to make new ones. The proceeds from the sale of these rosaries go to support the needs of the missionaries. The group, called the Rosary Consecration Society, was created in February 2020 and currently has 35 members who create rosaries to send to missions.
The group had started with the sale of statues of the Virgin of the Rosary, which gives its name to the parish of Sanbón, even through online sales "considering that it is a missionary activity that can be carried out even in the limited circumstances of COVID- 19 ", explains Jo. The work of cutting, cleaning and assembling the beads to create a rosary takes an average of two to three hours, which the group members do voluntarily in their spare time.
Father Cho Nam-gu, parish priest of the parish of Sanbon, encourages the members of the Society, pointing out that the rosaries are adapted to the culture of each country, according to the tastes and preferences of local peoplke, in different continenets.
Last year, the Rosary Consecration Society sent 1,600 rosaries to mission locations such as Papua New Guinea, Peru, and South Sudan, and in 2021 it has already sent 1,200 rosaries, 600 for each mission in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. President Veronica Yoon Seon-hee says: "We entrust the plight of the pandemic to Our Lady. We are happy to be able to offer the missions an instrument of prayer to ask the Virgin's intercession".
Sister In-suk Kim, of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, points out that "the little ones become a driving force in praying the Rosary. With this prayer we realize that the Virgin takes care of us". The parish community of Sanbón, dedicated to the "Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary", celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020 and organized a campaign to offer 10 million rosaries to the missions. (SD-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 13/10/2021)


Share: