austraLasia #2738
Summary of first part of the RM's visit to Korea Province
Seoul, 18 October 2010: Within a few hours of this item being sent the Rector Major leaves Seoul for Manila. Here, thanks to the dedicated pen of Fr Blanco, long-time and much loved missionary to Korea, we have a blow-by-blow description, of the Seoul part of the visit. It gives one the flavour of the Province, so read on ...
Thursday 14
The Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chávez and his Vicar, Fr Adrian Bregolin, along with Fr Juan José Bartolomé the RM's secretary, arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport, a5 5.30 pm on 14 October. Officials at the Airport ushered them into the VIP Room where many representatives of the Salesian Family in Korea were waiting. Among them were the Provincial, Fr Stefano Nam, Vice Provincial, Fr Stephen Yang, the Rector of the Provincial Community, Fr Marcelo Baek and several other Salesian priests and brothers, but also the FMA Provincial and representatives of the Congretation of Caritas Sisters of Jesus, Salesian Cooperators, Alumni, and a number of young people. The children, who were dressed in traditional Korean costume, offered the Rector Major a garland of flowers and two bouquets, one each for Fr Bregolin Fr Bartolomé. The four novices displayed a banner written in Korean and in English.
Fr. Stefano Nam gave the welcome address in Korean which Fr Baek translated into Italian. The Rector Major answered saying the he and his companions were very happy, because this was his second visit to Korea, The first was in 2004, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Salesians in Korea
On arrival at the Provincial House (a good hour away by car) The boys of the technical school, about eighty in all, were waiting in the playground and gathered around the Rector Major who promised he would join them for night prayers. Meanwhile the guests gathered in the refectory for supper together with the Salesians of the Provincial Community (it was fun watching them use oriental chopsticks in the place of the fork!). After supper and after a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the Provincial House Chapel, they moved to the Chapel at the Technical School, on the other side of the playground. On time, at 8:00 pm the youngsters began prayers.
After the prayers they presented flowers to the three guests and sang a song accompanied by xylophones played by some of the 'virtuosi' amongst the youngsters. At the end, Fr Chávez gave the Good Night recalling Don Bosco and his first boys in the Pinardi Shed. The Rector, Fr Isidoro Hong, translated and added that the Rector Major was paying for Pizzas and some refreshments for everyone! (Traduttore-tradittore!) All eighty boys and also teachers and Salesians from the community cheered.
Saturday, 15
It is 'oriental autumn' in Korea, calm, warm, quiet, with temperature between 10 - 20 degrees. This was Retreat Day for all the Salesians of Seoul. There are seven communities in Seoul. By 7:30 am most Salesians were gathered at the chapel for the morning prayers. Following breakfast the Rector Major ad his companions visited Fr Marc Cuvelier, Belgian, who came to Korea in 1964 as a practical trainee, together with his companion Bro. Luc van Looy!They brought much joy and life to this Province. Bishop Luc Van Looy was Provincial one term, from 1978 to 1984 and Fr Cuvelier was Provincial for two terms, from 1984 to 1996. Now he is ill with heart disease. The group spent twenty minutes with Fr Cuvelier then they visited the different parts of the Technical School which is a boarding house for the 120 youngsters who frequent the Basic Mechanics Course.
At 10:00 am in the chapel at the Provincial House the RM preached (translated by Fr Salesio Yung). Mass, in Korean. with the Provincial as principal celebrant flanked by the Rector Major and his Vicar and all Salesian priests from the Seoul communities. Some of the Salesians in initial formation were also present. It wasn't all 'religion'! Korea prides itself as one of the 20 major economies in the world. The Provincial presented the Rector Major with a 'cheque' with the smiling face of Don Bosco in the middle and the main Salesian and Korean anagrams - for USD 200,000. (They probably all had smiles on their face at that stage).
Mass was followed by a fraternal lunch all together in the big dining room. The early afternoon saw a gathering of all the Rectors of the twelve Communities of the Province. By mid-afternoon the three guests, together with the Provincial, left with the High Speed KTX (Bullet) Train for Kwang Ju, 400 Km south of Seoul, where there are two communities, the Junior and Senior High School with 1,500 students and the Formation House with 40 young Salesians. They were to return to Seoul on the evening of the 16th by air.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Summary of first part of the RM's visit to Korea Province
Seoul, 18 October 2010: Within a few hours of this item being sent the Rector Major leaves Seoul for Manila. Here, thanks to the dedicated pen of Fr Blanco, long-time and much loved missionary to Korea, we have a blow-by-blow description, of the Seoul part of the visit. It gives one the flavour of the Province, so read on ...
Thursday 14
The Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chávez and his Vicar, Fr Adrian Bregolin, along with Fr Juan José Bartolomé the RM's secretary, arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport, a5 5.30 pm on 14 October. Officials at the Airport ushered them into the VIP Room where many representatives of the Salesian Family in Korea were waiting. Among them were the Provincial, Fr Stefano Nam, Vice Provincial, Fr Stephen Yang, the Rector of the Provincial Community, Fr Marcelo Baek and several other Salesian priests and brothers, but also the FMA Provincial and representatives of the Congretation of Caritas Sisters of Jesus, Salesian Cooperators, Alumni, and a number of young people. The children, who were dressed in traditional Korean costume, offered the Rector Major a garland of flowers and two bouquets, one each for Fr Bregolin Fr Bartolomé. The four novices displayed a banner written in Korean and in English.
Fr. Stefano Nam gave the welcome address in Korean which Fr Baek translated into Italian. The Rector Major answered saying the he and his companions were very happy, because this was his second visit to Korea, The first was in 2004, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Salesians in Korea
On arrival at the Provincial House (a good hour away by car) The boys of the technical school, about eighty in all, were waiting in the playground and gathered around the Rector Major who promised he would join them for night prayers. Meanwhile the guests gathered in the refectory for supper together with the Salesians of the Provincial Community (it was fun watching them use oriental chopsticks in the place of the fork!). After supper and after a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the Provincial House Chapel, they moved to the Chapel at the Technical School, on the other side of the playground. On time, at 8:00 pm the youngsters began prayers.
After the prayers they presented flowers to the three guests and sang a song accompanied by xylophones played by some of the 'virtuosi' amongst the youngsters. At the end, Fr Chávez gave the Good Night recalling Don Bosco and his first boys in the Pinardi Shed. The Rector, Fr Isidoro Hong, translated and added that the Rector Major was paying for Pizzas and some refreshments for everyone! (Traduttore-tradittore!) All eighty boys and also teachers and Salesians from the community cheered.
Saturday, 15
It is 'oriental autumn' in Korea, calm, warm, quiet, with temperature between 10 - 20 degrees. This was Retreat Day for all the Salesians of Seoul. There are seven communities in Seoul. By 7:30 am most Salesians were gathered at the chapel for the morning prayers. Following breakfast the Rector Major ad his companions visited Fr Marc Cuvelier, Belgian, who came to Korea in 1964 as a practical trainee, together with his companion Bro. Luc van Looy!They brought much joy and life to this Province. Bishop Luc Van Looy was Provincial one term, from 1978 to 1984 and Fr Cuvelier was Provincial for two terms, from 1984 to 1996. Now he is ill with heart disease. The group spent twenty minutes with Fr Cuvelier then they visited the different parts of the Technical School which is a boarding house for the 120 youngsters who frequent the Basic Mechanics Course.
At 10:00 am in the chapel at the Provincial House the RM preached (translated by Fr Salesio Yung). Mass, in Korean. with the Provincial as principal celebrant flanked by the Rector Major and his Vicar and all Salesian priests from the Seoul communities. Some of the Salesians in initial formation were also present. It wasn't all 'religion'! Korea prides itself as one of the 20 major economies in the world. The Provincial presented the Rector Major with a 'cheque' with the smiling face of Don Bosco in the middle and the main Salesian and Korean anagrams - for USD 200,000. (They probably all had smiles on their face at that stage).
Mass was followed by a fraternal lunch all together in the big dining room. The early afternoon saw a gathering of all the Rectors of the twelve Communities of the Province. By mid-afternoon the three guests, together with the Provincial, left with the High Speed KTX (Bullet) Train for Kwang Ju, 400 Km south of Seoul, where there are two communities, the Junior and Senior High School with 1,500 students and the Formation House with 40 young Salesians. They were to return to Seoul on the evening of the 16th by air.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
