By ASC Korea
Seoul, South Korea, 13 March 2023 -- The Korean Province of the Salesian Cooperators Association (Provincial Coordinator: Andrea Park Man-sik) has held the 2023 Lenten retreat for 297 members from 29 local centres involving 5 zones between February 26 to March 12 with the 2023 Strenna theme: 'As Yeast in today's human family. The retreat was organized and led by Korea’s ASC provincial council members and special committee.
As part of their Lenten conversion, the participants watched the 2023 Strenna video and listened to the talk shared by both provincial delegates, Fr Hae-seung Park, John Bosco, SDB and Sr Gertrude Kim, also based on the Strenna official commentary offered by the Rector major, Fr Angel F. Artime. In particular, Salesian Cooperators were deeply touched by a story of one Salesian Girls High School Past Pupil who died with the reputation for holiness and becomes living proof of Don Bosco’s Preventive System.
Then, after this initial reflection on the Lenten message in action, shared with all Cooperators through SMS (Kakao talk) every week, wanother four lay holy members of the Salesian Family were introduced: Venerable Attilio Giordani, Servant of God Vera Grita, Blessed Maria Cristina Cella Mocellin, and Servant of God Akash Bashir (Don Bosco Past Pupils). After their presentation came group sharing about the personal life experience with 'next door holiness' in the neighborhood where each Salesian Cooperator witnessed holiness in ordinary life circumstances.
During the homily addressed in the concluding Mass, Fr Bosco Park emphasized the need to practice this year's strenna in ordinary daily life, especially as a Salesian Cooperator who lives in the world but does not get confused by the waves of society's currents, as a true Cooperator of God, with a sacramental perspective of one who can see beyond what is visible, and as God's Cooperator, and to become a small leaven in the community.
Participants in 5 different locations between February 26 and March 12 with a total of 297 participants: Metropolitan area: February 26, Seoul Salesian Provincial Hall (155), Southeast Region: March 4, Changwon Youth Center (21), Southwest Region: March 4, Gwangju Salesian Elementary School (67), Central Region: March 12, Jeongnim-dong Salesian house, Daejeon (35) and Jeju Region: March 12, Isidore Youth Center (19).
