Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - The Piccola Opera della Divina Provvidenza started its presence in South Korea on 21 April with the arrival in Seoul of Argentinean Fr. Luciano Felloni and Korean Fr Bernardo Seo Yong-Tae. A humble beginning with two “explorers”, in response to a request by Bishop Joseph Lee of Uijongbu diocese, a new diocese with many needs, situated not far from the border with North Korea. We give below Fr Luciano’s first impressions.
“When we arrived in Korea the Word of God of the liturgy of the day taken from the Acts of the Apostles, spoke of how the early Christians started their first mission. I was deeply moved by the reading about Philip’s meeting with the Ethiopian... I think it expresses very well the mission to which the sons of Don Orione are called in the Far East. I think one major commitment will be to walk beside those who do not yet know Christ (millions), offer a service of proclamation, and then continue the journey and let them continue happily on the way incorporated in the local Church. I think our mission as religious in a local Church in Korea has two fundamental dimensions: in the local Church a series of frontier ministries (social service in poor areas, concern for immigrants, mission animation etc...) and the other important service will be outside, ad gentes, to those who have yet to encounter Jesus Christ. This will be a service of dialogue, sharing, reciprocal knowledge, presence. Walking beside poor and rich helping them to discover in Jesus Christ the centre and meaning of life, helping them discover the power of the heart and the value of human progress not only economic.
For all this to be possible, the first thing I must do is to learn Korean... which will not be easy! I have started a serious two year course at the Jesuit University on 7 June. People here are very friendly and try hard to make me understand them. They are economically advanced and therefore it is a great challenge to help people realise that success and money do not solve everything...there are frequent cases of suicide and much stress, even among children, I think it will be an apostolate to help them discover other values. In these first days I feel I must be born to a new life: new language, new food, new way of eating - with chop sticks, new points of reference, new culture. It is good to have a chance to start anew, a slow, arduous but necessary process in order to announce Christ, to become a Korean among Koreans as Don Orione asked.
For the time being we are guests of the Colombian fathers who have been in Korea for many years. We plan to rent an apartment in Seoul for the study period and then move to a poor part of Uijongbu with an evangelising presence, poor among the poor. From this presence we will start with works of service and charity as God inspires us, according to the people’s needs. Certain activities are already on the horizon: service to immigrants in the diocese of Uijongbu, most of them Filipinos. The service of listening to them, consoling them, hearing their confessions and also (a truly orionino service) accompany them to hospital, help them to legalise their situation, protect them from people who want to exploit them... We rely on your prayers! Ave Maria and forwards!” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 13/6/2006; righe 38; parole 586)
