DAEGUPRIORYNEWSLETTER DPN 375 Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, Daegu Priory, KOREA June 2014 Friday, June 27: 1
Sisters in harmony Tuesday - Friday, June 3-6: Every two years, Postulants from Daegu and Seoul Priories gather for a 4-day Seminar. It usually treats the development of lay and spiritual maturity.this year, the seminar was held at Seoul Priory from June 3-6. All together, 19 Postulants - eleven from Daegu and eight from Seoul spent the most intense, but graced-filled days of their postulancy. On the first day: getting to know each other with games and quizzes. On the second day, listenning to a lecture given by Rev. John Hwang on Enneagram, a way to understand your personality and inner self. And on the last day: visiting to St. Joseph s Monastery in Namyangju where they could have a change to learn more about Benedictine monastic treasures. Thanks go to both Priories of Seoul and Daegu for providing programs to develop and encourage religious life. Thursday, June 19: With an opportunity to deepen their religious life, 22 retreatants began their 30-day spiritual journey as part of the ongoing formation program on Thursday evening, June 19 at Benedict Spirituality Center, Daegu. Saturday, June 21: His motto is Fr. Andrew Chung, a Korean american newly ordained priest from Los Angeles, celebrated his first Thanksgivng Mass at the chapel of Daegu Priory on Saturday, June 21. He was ordained to the priesthood by L.A. Archbishop Jose Gomes on May 31, 2014. His first assignment will be at St. Mariana de Paredes, Pico Rivera. He thanked the sisters of St. Gregory of Nazianzen Parish for the continuous prayers and spiritual support on his journey of following Jesus Christ, his primary inspiration. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2) 2
Monday evening lectures June 2: A lecture on Alzheimer s disease was given by Prof. Lee YoungDon on Monday evening. June 9: Mr. Thomas Aquinas Han, latest Ambassador of South Korea to the Holy See, delivered a lecture on Catholic Social Doctrine. June 16: Fr.Josef Eugster, a missionary priest of the Swiss Missionary Society of Bethlehem introduced his method of Reflexology to the sisters of Daegu Priory on June 16 evening. Comings & Goings Monday, May11: Arrival of Sisters from International Encounter Weeks in Rome. Saturday, May 14: Arrival of Sr. Rebecca Kim from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Apostolate news Friday, June 13: Employees of Daegu Fatima Hospital took their spare time after work on Friday, June 13 to walk and clean the streets of Daegu city in an effort to protect the Earth and provide a better life for future generations. Starting with a short speech by CEO Sr. Jean Marie Chang in the front hall of the Hospital, they walked toward Daegu River gathering up the trash on the streets, ending up in Daegu downtown where they had a simple supper to conclude the event. Friday - Sunday, June 20-22: Daegu Fatima Hospital took part in the 2014 Medi Expo held at Coex Center from June 20 to 22. The hospital showcased Fatima Health Promotion Program and provided free body fat analysis, blood pressure, intraocular pressure and other examinations for visitors. Brochures in English were also handed out. Chinese, Russians, Mongolians and other foreigners visited Daegu Fatima booth giving high praise to the Hospital for its excellent technology and service. Monday - Friday, June 9-20: Art Gallery Exposition lifts up patients and assistants emotional mood and helps to overcome disease, said CEO Sr. Vianney Park of Changwon Fatima Hospital. Diversified art galleries such as photographs and paintings have been exhibited in various corridors of the Hospital. This was 3
folllowed by Sr. Vianney Park s decision to join hands with College and Art academic faculty to provide exhibition areas in the Hospital. June was the month for the PolyTechnic College to display their works. Under the title Discovering life, 25 professional artists exhibited their work from June 9 to 20. Tuesday, June 24: 138 volunteers participated in the 2014 Hospice Volunteer Conference held on Tuesday, June 24 at the auditorium of Changwon Fatima Hospital. The speaker was Mr. Kim Hae-Mun, team worker of Gyeongsangnamdo Volunteer Center who discussed Hospice Law, regulations and federal laws of a modern society. Examples of Harvard Medical Center s experiments and Mother Theresa of Calcutta were presented to prove the effects of the caregivers at the end of the life of the beloved ones. Particularly, the conference was notable for the participants determination to attend the conference by public transportation and to bring their own cup in order to reduce the use of disposable items. Thanks to this conference, the participants all felt self-esteem and pride in being called to serve as Hospice volunteers. A little bit of knowledge from one of our pioneers In January 24, 1954, with grief and dispirited, she and the other Sisters and Brothers repatriated leaving their beloved Korean missions. Sr. Chrysostoma stayed in Bernried near Tutzing, helped to edit the Missionechos magazine, and gave organ lessons to the postulants and novices. On May 10, 1956, some of the repatriated Korean missionary Sisters were sent to Korea, this time to South Korea, and she at the age of 65 wanted to be sent with this group. Her strong wish was granted since she recovered her health. The Daegu Diocesan Bishop Choi invited the Wonsan refugee Sisters to Daegu and thus, the Sisters found their new nest in Daegu, South Korea. As soon as she arrived at Daegu, Sr. Chrysostoma started to visit the refugee camps and poor neighborhood and taught the adults and children in God s Word and catechism. She also visited the very sick patients in Daegu Fatima Hospital and nearby hospitals and administered the conditional baptism to the dying and critically ill. At convent, she translated the Latin prayer books and our Congregation s history into Korean for the Korean Sisters. 4
Arrival of Sr. Gertrud Link (right) and Sr.Chrysostoma Schmidt (left) at Busan welcomed with flowers on May 7, 1956. Sr.Chrysostoma Schmidt in 1970 As the Korean situation got again stressful due to the North s aggravation, the then Prioress, Mother Edeltrud Weist advised her to return to Germany with a German Sister who was then returning to Tutzing in 1968. Of course, for Sr Chrysostoma who loved Korea very much, it was a very hard decision but the precarious Korean situation and her old age made her leave Korea because she couldn t cope with another war situation. In Germany, she again placed herself in Bernried and ceaselessly worked on the Wonsan Immaculata Convent s Chronicles. The original Wonsan Convent s Chronicles were burnt by the communist regime but the copies that were sent to the Mother House were in Tutzing Archives. She used these copies and some pictures of Korean missions to make three volumes of almost perfect Chronicles of Wonsan Priory mission fields. Meanwhile, her eye sights grew weaker but finally in 1970 she wrote in a piece of paper The Chronicles are finished. Then, she started to knit sweaters and others for the war refugees in South Korea with the yarns that her relatives sent to her. She worked on them diligently and the pictures of them wearing her artifacts made her happy. She loved them so much. But her health grew weaker than ever and she was forced to be bedridden for a few months. Then on September 12, 1971, she passed away at around 4:30 p.m. Without Sr. Chrysostoma s Wonsan Chronicles, today our The History of Wonsan Priory couldn t exist as a Book of our Priory s beginnings. Sr. Chrysostoma had thoroughness and a clear spirit of responsibility and she was a true educator in many senses. We heartily thank Sr. Chrysostoma for all she had done for us Koreans and Daegu Priory. -Sr. Veronica Lee- Responsible for Daegu Priory Archives (Translated by Sr. Maria Paul Sung) that in all things God may be glorified (Pt 4,11) Newsletter: osb_news@hanmail.net Homepage: www.benedictine.or.kr 5