Immaculate Conception of Mary Priory in Wonsan, Korea
In the year 1923 Abbot-Bishop Bonifaz Sauer, OSB, of Dokwon
Abbey, Korea, came to the Mother House in Tutzing and petitioned to mission
Sisters to Korea. In response to the
invitation, on November 21, 1925, the first four Sisters from Tutzing arrived
in Wonsan, Korea. Then Sisters served in
parishes, educated the young at Sunday schools and elementary schools, and
provided health-care and social services.
In particular, Sisters took special care to meet with women and shared
with them the Good News as then women were culturally excluded from the general
circle of associations where men were present.
On the night of their arrival in Korea, their first four candidates
greeted the first four Sisters, and, in the very night, the sisters interviewed
their first four candidates. On June 6,
1927, the community in Wonsan became a priory and began its novitiate, and, on
May 24, 1931, the first six novices made their first profession. Until the
Priory was dissolved, the Sisters served in parishes, managed a Haesung (the
Star of the Sea) kindergarten, clinics and dispensaries, and free-of-charge
elementary schools for poor children.
After the Second World War, Soviet Union occupied the
northern part of Korea, and in 1948 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was
born. Soon thereafter, the communist
government began its policy against religion, and in May 1949 Wonsan Priory was
dissolved. Then, the priory had 45 Sisters (25 Korean Sisters, 19 German
Sisters, and 1 French Sister). Korean
Sisters were forced to disperse, while the European Sisters were imprisoned and
then had to suffer almost 5 years at a forced labor camp in Oksadok. At the forced labor camp 2 German sisters
died, the communist government shot to death one Korean Sister, and Oblate Sr.
Agneta Chang was killed in a prison in Hamheung. Today the 3 Sisters and 1 Oblate are among
the 38 martyrs being petitioned for beatification. In addition, 3 final professed Sisters and 3
junior Sisters are still missing!
In January 1954, the 18 surviving European Sisters were sent
back to Tutzing. When 10 of the 18 Sisters regained sufficient health, they
returned to join the Korean Sisters established in the meantime in South
Korea. Again, the 10 Sisters devoted
themselves for the growth and development of the Sisters in Korea.
During the Korean War (June 25, 1950 – July 23, 1953), most
of the Korean Sisters dispersed in 1949 made their way to South Korea. Though they fled without knowing whereabouts
of the others, on December 9, 1950, they all
arrived at a refugee camp at Jungang Parish in Busan and there they
found each other, as though they had agreed beforehand! Since then December 9, 1950, has become the
date of the new start in the south. In
total, 17 Korean Sisters escaped from the North. Benefactors came to support the refugee
Sisters. Sisters themselves did
different work to support themselves, their fellow refugees, and their mission. Sisters did nursing in the army hospital, and
did sewing and other chores to make living.
Yet, the Sisters shared whatever they could with other equally
struggling refugees. The refugee days
after the dissolution of the priory and during and after the war gave the
Sisters indescribable hardships. At the
same time, all the hardships and sufferings Sisters had to undergo during those
months and years became the potent force and source for the future development
of the Sisters.
While struggling for day-to-day survival, the refugee
Sisters also dreamt dreams and searched a way to make another new leap. The call came from Daegu. Bishop John Choi invited our Sisters to his
diocese. Within the compound of the diocesan
offices Bishop John readied a house for the sisters and Sr. Otmara and the
sisters moved to their new home in October 1951.
For a more stable long-term development and for a novitiate,
already in 1952, Sisters acquired a house in Gongpyeong-dong. The community in Gongpyeong-dong, Daegu,
became the first canonical station. For
sure, the house was small even for the community. Yet, the sisters took the largest room of the
house and opened a free clinics for the poor, St. Antonio Clinic! Eventually
St. Antonio Clinic became our rice seedbed and gave birth to all our health
care endeavors including two general hospitals, Daegu Fatima and Changwon
Fatima today.
God’s blessing and support of the people at home and abroad
continued. On June 21, 1955, Sisters
dedicated a second local station in Sinam-dong and the first Fatima Clinic
within the compound. On July 29, 1956,
the local station in Sinam-dong was raised to become St. Benedict Priory, Sr.
Otmara was appointed to be the prioress, and the novitiate was
established. On December 8, 1958, for
the first time in South Korea, 4 novices made their first profession.
In 1987, St. Benedict Priory in Korea had 273 Sisters. On November 16, 1987, a new priory dedicated
to St. Gertrud was born in Korea. Of St. Benedict Priory 72 Sisters became
members of St. Gertrud Priory whose priory house was readied in Seoul, Korea,
and 201 Sisters of St. Benedict Priory in Korea became members of St. Benedict
Priory in Daegu.
Today, in 2015, St. Benedict Priory in Daegu numbers 351
professed Sisters (330 final professed Sisters and 21 temporary professed
Sisters). Today the Sisters of St.
Benedict Priory endeavor in 34 local stations (32 stations in Korea and 2
stations in 2 foreign countries). The
apostolates of St. Benedict Priory in Daegu include parish ministries (33),
health care services (2), education (early childhood (9), middle and high
school (2), special education (1)), Bible studies (7)), social services (5),
retreat houses (2), special outside apostolates (e.g., assignments in the
diocesan offices), and services within the community (e.g., the apostolate of
prayers of the infirm and elderly Sisters).
Towards the Future
Most recently, after a long consideration and planning we
have constructed a number of buildings next to the priory house. Fatima Home is
a retirement home for elderly and St. Scholastica House is for our elderly
sisters; our Haesung kindergarten now has a new building for 10 classes; for
adult faith and cultural formation, we have St. Benedict Education Center for
adults where we would pursue Bible studies, faith building activities, and
cultural formation programs.
Though inchoate but full of hope a number of our sisters
have been also looking into the ecological spirituality. Within the boundary of
our priory house, we cultivate a good size farmland. Here we try our best to practice ecological
agriculture and we have been enjoying eco-friendly products. For some years, we have been raising
sufficient number of eco-friendly potatoes and heads of Chinese cabbages for
our communities. We have been also
raising eco-friendly medicinal herbs for our own consumption, for gift giving,
and for sail. We also try to support
eco-friendly products available on the market. God looked at everything he had
made and found it very good (Genesis 1: 31).
No comments:
Post a Comment