The Promise of 8 new Salesian Cooperators

By Bro. Hilario Seo, SDB

Daejeon, Korea -- On November 27th, the first Sunday of Advent, like every year, is a very meaningful occasion for every Salesian Cooperators of Korea. All the 30 Centers of Salesian Cooperators in Korea gather in one place for the one night and two days retreat for preparing the coming of the Lord and to receive the new Salesian Cooperators through a new Promise.

This year too, 200 Salesian Cooperators gathered in Jeonglim-dong, Daejon, to have a retreat time on the theme of "Stay awake!" and to receive 8 new Cooperators who prepared for three years of well systematic formation.

In this retreat which was prepared and managed by the provincial council members with the help of Fr. John Jung and Sr. Agnes Yu, the delegators of SDB and FMA; Fr. Bonaventura Kim the director of Daerim-dong community gave a three-hour lecture on the title of ‘Be awake!'. He emphasized the attitude of the Cooperators who are going into the Advent season.

Throughout the two-days program, the Cooperators have enjoyed family spirit, specially in doing the tie up the silver foil to the tree of hope where they made a fund raising to donate to an FMA community which was dedicated for the migrante people.

In particular, there was a member who celebrated a silver jubilee of the promise, Pascal Park, to whom was given a Cooperator's badge, as a sign of the renewal of his promise. Mr. Pascal says, "We are delighted with the number of members which have increased significantly compared 25 years ago. In this moment I have to say that I am totally convinced on what late Fr. Jhon Trisoliny had said in my initial formation time, 'It is more important and urgent to establish an identity as a Salesian Cooperators.'"

“What I'm thinking a lot these days is that I should do the true prophet's life who make testimony and voice to the world to ask correcting the error even if it could be under the risk of our lives. The terrible things happening in our country now make me reflect a lot. Although we have very busy and difficult lives, as a member of the Salesian Family, we must not neglect the mission to help, guide and warn the people around the world on not losing their dignity.”, the word of Fr. Stefano Yang, the Provincial, in his homily on the Holy Mass for the Promise. The Provincial specially advised to pay attention to four points in Advent season. He analysed that drinking, voracity, rant, and violence make us distant from Christ's love and away from our neighbors, making us spiritually and personally isolated. Then he also emphasized that we should prepare to meet the Lord by treating these four things that are easy to find in our lives.

“Starting from some opportunities to help build the salesian house in various place, I have become a Cooperator with this Promise. I will do my best to make the whole world a home for saving the youth according to the spirit of Don Bosco, just as I have been devoting myself to build a strong and comfortable house.” The testimony speech of Peter Kim, one of eight newly promised, who is an architect and the head of a comprehensive architectural company, has been responsible for designing and supervising of many buildings of the Salesian house including the Salesian Youth Centre in which this retreat and promise event took place.

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