Mailnews_old

Views 395 Votes 0 Comment 0
?

Shortcut

PrevPrev Article

NextNext Article

Larger Font Smaller Font Up Down Go comment Print
?

Shortcut

PrevPrev Article

NextNext Article

Larger Font Smaller Font Up Down Go comment Print
austraLasia #3026

KOR Volunteers depart on Feast of Sts Versiglia and Caravario

SEOUL: 27 February 2012 --  The Feast of the Salesian pro-martyrs, February 25th was the setting for a very meaningful celebration held at the provincial house in Seoul: Mass and the consignment of the Mission Cross to the three Korean lay volunteers for Poipet, in Cambodia for one year. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Isidor Hong, the Mission Delegate, who had followed them up for several months in preparation. The volunteers are Joseph Lee, a medical practitioner, 49 yeas old, Mr Edward Heo, a leading Chef, 25 years old, and Mrs Rosa Song, 24 years old, just graduated from Catholic University last February 17th.

Dr Lee is a specialist in emergency medicine, and has been working in a university's general hospital Emergency Department. But he also has a strong desire to return to the farm, in the countryside. He thought that it would be good if he spent some time abroad, where people suffer from poverty so he left work and joined the Salesian Volunteer Network  last November.. It was not easy to decide to be a volunteer, leaving his wife and two daughters, one twelve the other eleven. Strangely enough, he has just discovered that he was a public high school classmate of Fr Michael Chang, the new Provincial Economer and in charge of the Mission Office in Korea, and graduated from the same medical university with the late Fr John Lee.  Providence!

After taking a degree in Culinary Arts, Mr Heo took a job in a famous hotel restaurant. Despite earning well, he began questioning that money could say it all, and asked himself if there was something more important. This question about the meaning of life eventually led him to the Salesian Volunteer Program with intentions to remain for the longer-term. He too had earlier knowledge of the Salesians Society because he had heard something about it from his younger brother, currently in military service for two years. His brother had attended the alternative school managed by the Social Communication Center in Seoul.

Mrs Song has just graduated in Social Work at Catholic University on February 17. She has already had experience of volunteering in Cambodia for three weeks in January 2009. It was a Catholic Caritas program. She was deeply impressed by the purity of the people’s heart in Cambodia and felt very much that she was loved by the people. She sought the opportunity to go back there with the title of Salesian volunteer.

In his homily, Fr Hong referred to Pope John Paul II's ‘Redemtoris missio’: “Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission”, and emphasized that “you have to inscribe it n your heart that even though you are going as a volunteer, you are a lay missionary; take advantage of this opportunity for your growth in faith rather than considering yourself as someone who will be able to do something for them. Especially since you will live in the Salesian community together with Salesians, be involved with  the preventive system, and entrust all things to the protection of Our Lady.”

Of the three, for the Dr Lee will support the Salesians in Korea for his journey and living expenses in Cambodia; the other two volunteers will be supported by KCOC (Korea NGO Council For Overseas Cooperation) as participants in that program.

On this Feast of St. Aloysius Versiglia and St.Callistus Caravario, Salesian pro-martyrs these lay volunteers have departed for their mission territory. Pray for them that they can be faithful witnesses to the Lord, and that they may defend the dignity of young people and be good friends and collaborators of Fr Gabriel Kang who until to now has worked without another Salesian beside him in the very large  institution at Poipet.

List of Articles
No. Category Subject Views
3030 EAO 1218_East Asia-Oceania strong source of missionary vocations for 2006 298
3029 ITM 1420_ITM - statues mark Don Bosco day in Indonesia 298
3028 THA 2300_Thai Salesian Deacon ordained in Melbourne 298
3027 0154_Missing 299
3026 CIN 1286_HK outreach to 'runaways and throwaways', especially under 18 299
3025 World 2320_Preventive System and Human Rights: trust, hope, alliance 299
3024 World 0350_SALESIAN'S MOVEMENT MAKES 'CHRISTIANS'WITHOUT BAPTISM 300
3023 AUL 0910_Australia: Rector Major busy with confreres, young people, Salesian Family. His message - 'Launch into the deep'! 300
3022 ITM 1520_ITM's Salesian Family takes new step forward 300
3021 0210_Missing 301
3020 AUL 1408_Australia celebrates Australia Day 301
3019 ITM 1614_East Timor - two newly professed offer hope in difficult times 301
3018 FIS 1765_Hidden treasures: DBTC Cebu 301
3017 India 1780_Cross-region meeting on Volunteers at Kochi 301
3016 World 2258_Cast out into the deep - the ever-widening net of WYD 301
3015 0518_Missing 302
3014 World 2418_Fire destroys part of community residence at Amgalan in Mongolia 302
3013 FIS 2751_Don Bosco blackmailed 302
3012 AUL 2871_Ordinations within the Region in the lead-up to Pentecost 302
3011 World 0696_PRACTICAL TRAINEES OFFER COMMUNICATIONS ADVICE 303
Board Pagination Prev 1 ... 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ... 177 Next
/ 177