Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, (24 June 2003) appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Kwangju (Korea) Reverend Father Hyginus Hee-jong parish priest at Kumba Dong, assigning to him the titular see of Corniculana.
Reverend Father Father Hyginus Hee-jong was born on 21 February 1947 at Bukkyu-dong Mopko-shi, Cheonnam, in the archdiocese of Kwangju. He studied for the priesthood in Korea and in Rome obtaining a degree in Church History at the Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest on 5 July for Kwangju archdiocese.
He has since been: assistant priest, professor and bursar of Kwangju inter-diocesan seminary, vice-chancellor and diocesan consultor, parish priest and director of the Church History Centre.
Kwangju archdiocese, one of the three ecclesiastical provinces in Korea, is in the south and it was created on 10 March 1962. It has two suffragan dioceses: Jeon Ju and Cheju. It has an area of 12,414 sq. km., and a population of 3,500,000. There are about 288,000 Catholics (1.8%) gathered in 100 parishes and 80 mission stations, looked after by 209 priests (14 are Religious) assisted by 554 Sisters and 97 major seminarians. (Fides Service 10/7/2003 EM lines 15 Words: 201).