Interview with Bro. Philip Yoon

By Our Own Correspondent

Seoul, Korea, 16 May 2018 -- Bro. Philip Yoon (first profession 1988) spent most of his Salesian life in four different Salesian schools (Gwangju high school, International Technical school, Gwangju Wee school and Seoul Dongbu Vocation Training Center). At present is in charge of the Don Bosco Self support center in Seoul, hostel for young workers entrusted to Seoul - DBYC community (Rector Fr. Marcello Baek) with 4 Salesian Brothers, 6 Priests and 3 prenovices living together.

What makes you happy and joyfull?

Youth, personal encounter with the young people or daily education interaction fills my heart with joy. Young people are the reason of my vocation, the first vocation motivation why I was attracted to the Salesian Congregation.

You have spent most of your Salesian life in the school settings (also as headmaster)?

In spite of many challenges I was happy among the school youth. Last 4 years I was immersed among the out-of-school youth in Gwangju Wee School, it was a very difficult but rewarding education experience. My age is already close to 60, I was delighted to stay with them during the whole day, even one year as class teacher for grade 12. Two of my former students are now here in Seoul – DBYC Vocation Training Center.

Which Salesian school experience do you treasure most?

Already 30 years passed from my first profession in 1988. I treasure more the Wee school! Why? There were the most difficult youth I met so far! Most of them came from difficult family or were school drop-outs. For them it was the last chance, since they were entrusted by the education office to us (Wee school).

What did you sustained in Salesian Brother vocation?

There are two pillars of my consecrated life: Young people and Faith. Now when we are getting old, our life is about God and myself. It’s an ongoing dialogue.

During this school year you have a good chance of ongoing formation?

Every Thursday I attend the ‘Overall human formation’ program organized by the Religious Major Superiors Association at the Sogang University. There are 25 participants (5 male religious and 20 sisters). It’s a very good experience. During the human development sessions we are getting aware about how God is at action in our life growth. Yes, God is working in each human life, leading us day by day. For example last week we were touched by sharing of one priest. His father was dependent on alcohol and his son was deeply ashamed about his family. But this religious was able to discover God also in that family. Together during the group counselling we were helped to growth with more objective, psycho-spiritual dynamics.

What is the present situation of Korea SDB province?

Korean province present address? There are too many cultural, social and also faith changes in our country. Now it’s not easy to define. The male religious (Brother or Priest) existence is not easy to feel and make it clearly visible. Also for the Salesians living amidst the busy apostolic life for the young people. Overall feeling. Each one of us is called to renew own vocation.

And what about the present situation of the Salesian Brother in Korea?

Our Society has both forms of religious vocation – Brothers and Priest. Yes, we compare each other. One side is developed, while the other side does suffer. Salesian Priest is easily visible in the Church, has more possibility like rectors, variety of different responsibility while the Salesian Brother is getting smaller and less visible.

How can we foster the Salesian consecrated vocation?

First of all we need more mutual awareness about the Salesian Priest and Brother vocation. Our Salesian Priests need to be more focused on their evangelization – sacramental ministry. If not, they are looking for many other specializations and multiple tasks. Without their explicit focus on specialization and ministerial office, they cause a strong imbalance in our communities. While the Salesian Brother is getting less opportunities in his area(s) of specialization. We need to recover a charismatic balance with more mutual awareness, especially the less felt Brother vocation.

What about the Brother in Korean society and Korean Church?

Korean society the priest is more respected and favorite, while Brother has limited opportunities. If we like to realize our education – evangelization goal ‘Honest citizen and good Christians’, we can’t achieve this without a good synergy of both form of one Salesian vocation. If we remain at the level of superficial evangelization approach (temptation or danger of priests), with focus on the visible fruits, events (sacraments) and not the process (faith education) we can’t accomplish the Salesian mission. We ask only ‘when did you made your last confession’… but don’t address the personal living relationship with Jesus Christ.

What are your personal fruits of the previous 2013 EAO Hua Hin Brothers Congress?

I treasure most the simple and deep definition about Salesian Brothers identity. I still remember Fr. Cereda’s talk (Cambodia 2006) shared also in Hua Hin about Brother as ‘Consecrated – Lay – Salesian’. This expression is for me very complete. Until now, when I’m asked somewhere to introduce Salesian Brother vocation, I speak in these terms and with Art. 45 of our Constitutions.

What kind of challenge do you on this journey?

The Second Vatican Council has open a new historic era of Laity. Now Lay people are not just a destinatary of evangelization, but also as pastoral agent, co-responsible for the Mission of the Church.

But Salesian priests are sometimes trying to control all. If they would trust more the lay mission partners and the Salesian Brother, dividing their tasks, our Salesian mission would be more fruitful and effective.

What is your expectation for the 2018 EAO Brother Congress fruits?

All of us we know about the importance of Salesian Brother vocation. However we are not aware about it in our daily life. We need to live this always fresh awareness with our young people, Lay mission partners and especially we need to help more each other as Salesians Brothers-Priests.

Many Brothers will come together in Vietnam to be energized, inspired and strengthen through the talks and life sharing. However we need to transfer this charismatic richness in the dynamics of our respective provincial communities of the EAO region.

We need to bring back home an ongoing question (in the style of the incoming GC28: What kind of Salesians for the youth of today?). We need to ask continuously ourselves: ‘There is a need of the Salesian Brother in our community – in our Training Center, School, Oratory, Social work, in the Association of Salesian Cooperators (ASC) as Delegates?’ Why do we need one Salesian Brother in each Salesian community? This questioning may help to raise our awareness about one Salesian vocation in two forms – Brother and Priest. This might be the best fruit of our EAO Congress 2018.

What is your message to the AustraLasia readers?

I would like invite each Salesian in our EAO region to reflect, to ask himself about the charismatic need of Salesian Brother in each local community. I would like to invite our superiors to keep alive the attention to this weaker form of one Salesian vocation. As in a family, some children are weaker, we need to put more attention and care to raise them up.

I’m asking what role to we entrust to four Salesian Brothers in my own community, with all our gift and limitations. We need more water and more fertilizer to make grow the fragile and smaller form of one Salesian vocation! We need more Salesian priest speaking with enthusiasm about Salesian Brother vocation in front of the lay mission partners and the young. Usually the Brothers are hidden among the youth during the ‘good talks’. Yes, since we are getting less, we need more care. We need more formation, more responsibility in our mission. We need to realize our own contribution to the accompaniment of our lay mission partners. Brothers are closer to the lay and to the young and are present amongst them. We need to realize, respect and foster this specific contribution to the growth of our Charism and Mission.

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