Written by KOR SocCom
Seoul, Korea, 6 October 2024 -- At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday 5 October, the installation Mass of Fr Marcello Baek Kwanghyun, the sixth provincial of the KOR, was celebrated in the 7th floor chapel of the Salesian Provincial House in Seoul, in the presence of more than 300 people, including Salesians and Salesian Family members. Fr Marcello Baek Kwanghyun presided over the Mass, which included the installation of the new provincial carried out by Fr Joseph Phuoc, Regional Councillor for EAO.
In his homily, Fr Phuoc presented the General Council's assessment of the previous Extraordinary Visitation, saying that there are many aspects of the Salesians in Korea that are exemplary in the Region, and that the new provincial is the right person to develop them, and that he hopes that all members and members of the Salesian family will love and unite with the new provincial, just as they loved Don Bosco and loved his predecessor, Fr Timothy Choi. After the homily, the new provincial was installed with the Confession of Faith and signature of the new Provincial Assignment, and the Mass continued.
Notably, after the Eucharist, there was a ceremony to officially transfer the Mongolian Delegation to the Korean Province. The Mongolian Delegation had been part of the Vietnam Province since the Salesians started the presence in 2000, but due to geographical conditions and cultural similarities, the decision to transfer it to the Korea Province was made by the Generalate in Rome, and was officially announced on 4 July 4. It was transferred to the Korea Province in a public ceremony today. Fr Barnaba, provincial superior and the provincial economer of the Vietnam Province were present, and they were also joined by Fr Paul, Delegate of Mongolia with three other confreres. "We Salesians are bound to a particular Province by our vows, but we are not bound to that province alone, we are part of the worldwide Salesian community," said Fr Joseph Phuoc, introducing the significance of the event. "It is therefore quite natural for one jurisdiction to be transferred to another," he continued. “We are very grateful to the Korean Province for its willingness to take on this particularly challenging mission in Mongolia. The Mongolian mission is also a priority for us at the General Council, which is why we are sending two new missionaries in this year's expedition. We are also deeply grateful to the Vietnamese province for their dedication and sacrifices over the past 25 years, despite the challenges posed by the vast differences in climate and distance.”
Fr Paul, the Mongolian Delegate, also expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese Province, saying that although the jurisdiction will change to Korea, the Vietnamese Province will forever remain the mother province for Mongolia, and presented the Vietnamese Provincial with a watch in the shape of the geography of Mongolia as a token of his appreciation. The Korean Provincial also presented the Vietnamese Provincial with a plaque of appreciation in honour of their history in Mongolia. The Mongolian Delegate then presented the Korean Provincial with a model of a ger, the Mongolian Traditional Dwelling, as a symbolic gesture of gratitude for allowing the transfer.
May God's grace and blessings be upon Fr Marcello Baek Kwanghyun as he takes office today, and may the wisdom of the Holy Spirit always be with him, so that he will always make the right discernment and promotion in the animation and governance of the province, and that he will resolutely lead the way in cultivating and blossoming the spirit of Don Bosco as the center of unity and father for both the Korean and Mongolian Salesian families.
We also thank Fr Timothy Choi Woncheol for his hard work as provincial for the past six years, and pray that God's blessings will always be upon him.