Courtney McGrailThe Columbans’ work in Korea has adapted over the past 80 years, writes Fr Donal O’Keefe, SSC.
Early on Sunday morning Octtober 29, 1933 the first 10 Columban missionaries arrived in Korea, sailing into Busan port. They were from Ireland, Australia and the U.S. and had come by boat from Shanghai, the last stage of a long journey from their various countries.
It was a misty morning and rain was beginning to fall. From Busan they took the train to Taegu city where they were welcomed by the Bishop Demange a member of the Paris Foreign Missionaries. For six months they lived at the archdiocesan minor seminary studying Korean until on Easter Sunday 1934 they left Taegu and went over to Mokpo city in the south west of the country to begin work.
Over 80 years have passed and during that time some 350 Columbans have worked here between priests, sisters and laity. They were a very diverse group with a variety of talents, some worked here all their lives, some only a short time, and they came from many countries. In the Japanese times (Japan occupied and annexed Korea during the period 1908-1945) missionaries were constantly harassed culminating in 1941 with expulsions, imprisonment and house arrest.
During the Korean War, seven Columbans died – they had the opportunity to flee but made the decision to stay with the people knowing the consequences. Today these seven missionaries are among the ‘82 witnesses to the faith in modern times’ being forwarded for beatification by the Korean Catholic Church.
Rebuilding
In the 1950s and 1960s, over 100 young Columbans came to Korea – it was the period of rebuilding the country and the Church. The Columban sisters also arrived at that time and provided medical services to the poor through a network of clinics and a hospital. The priests began to establish parishes in the new urban centres and today the statistics of the Church show that the Columbans founded 127 parishes in Korea. During the 1970s and 1980s tension developed within the Society in Korea due to different theologies as some men wanted to initiate new approaches to mission while others wanted to stay with the traditional parish apostolate.
The result was a flowering of new apostolates along with the parish ministry as Columbans began to work with labourers, students, as hospital chaplains, with gamblers, alcoholics, marriage encounter, counselling, spiritual direction and retreats, etc. The accompanying tensions and upheaval are now seen as 'birth pangs'. Slowly diversity became accepted in the society, and responding to the signs of the times became the criterion for our work.
The above experience of change helped prepare us for the biggest change in the history of our society, which came in the mid-1980s, with the decision to accept local candidates into the society.
This was followed by a decision to invite Korean lay missionaries and also diocesan priests to join us on Mission. It radically changed our presence in Korea – we were no longer the expatriate mission group in the Local Church, we had Korean members who were going on Mission. An indication of the extent of that change is that now, in 2014, three Korean members were ordained as Columban priest missionaries, three Columban Korean lay missionaries went to Taiwan and four Korean associate priests as missionaries to South America.
The flowering of the Columban Mission in Korea is just one example of the vibrant Korean Church. In a country of 50 million people the Church today claims over 5 million adherents and has close to 1,000 missionaries all over the world. Its track record on defending human rights particularly during the period of the dictatorship, its outreach to the poor through social welfare projects has given it great credibility.
However in recent times the wealth of the Church has become a concern for many who fear that it is now turning in on itself, and losing its prophetic edge. The increasingly multicultural nature of Korean society is also making new demands of the Church.
The changes in the Columban Society have providentially prepared us to respond to these new challenges. The present Columban group in Korea comes from a variety of cultures whereas in the past we were 100% Caucasian. Our lived experience of multicultural life gives us insights which we can now share with the local Church and the wider Church. Due to the growth of the local diocesan personnel we are free from parish pastoral so we have the opportunity to develop new ways of doing Mission, free to introduce new movements.
'Retrouvaille'
For example during the last few years one Columban has introduced ‘retrouvaille’ (a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages) into Korea. Along with the formation structure to train Columban missionaries we have developed mission education programmes to help prepare personnel from other congregations going on cross cultural mission. We have an outreach programme to parishes to create mission awareness and invite people to support us in mission. We are involved in JPIC work, in particular networking for peace.
We put energy into dialogue with other religions – Korea is a country of religious diversity. We work with migrant workers, and with persons with special needs. We accompany people providing various services including spiritual direction, counselling, dialogue and Confession. But all of this has only been possible because of the many people we have got to know over the years, those who have worked with us, whose faith sustain us. In Ireland our families, friends and benefactors – the people who helped us put flesh on our dreams.
In Korea those who guided us into the culture, who taught us language, those who corrected out homilies (and still do!); friends who gave us support when we were down and lonely far away from home, our co-workers in the Church. We have been blessed through them and have been changed. We have seen the Korean face of God and for this we give thanks!
Fr Donal O’Keefe, SSC, is regional director of the Missionary Society of St Columban in Korea.