Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - Vietnamese immigrant workers in Korea have a new social and pastoral centre where they can meet, share experience, pray together and take part in social, cultural and spiritual activities. The Vietnamese Workers Centre in Seoul was inaugurated on 13 May feast of Our Lady of Fatima by Bishop Luke Kim Woon Hoi, auxiliary Bishop of Seoul. Most Vietnamese immigrant workers are Catholics so the ceremony was held after the Sunday Mass celebrated with the local Vietnamese Catholic community in Seoul.
South Korea has about 700,000 immigrant workers. And in 1992 the archdiocese set up a commission for pastoral care of social assistance and work which has a team of 20 people who provide pastoral care and assistance to communities of Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, Mogolian and Latin American immigrant workers.
The Salesian new agency ANS reports that Salesians work together with Dominicans and Divine Word Missionaries to run the centre and care for about 20,000 immigrants, including the two largest Catholic groups in Seoul. With the support of the Diocesan office for workers the Centre provides, legal counselling, basic medical care, intercultural activities, language courses, family courses for inter-ethnic marriages (about 10% of the total). It also serves as a Home for women in need and offers preparation for baptism and other sacraments. American Salesian Fr Jack Trisolini, in charge of social apostolate in the archdiocese of Seoul, praised the work of the religious orders to offer assistance to so many immigrants. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/5/2007 righe 25 parole 252)
