austraLasia #3091
The '200' pilgrimage that combines martyrdom and Salesian renewal
SEOUL: 25 June 2012 -- Combining a trial of physical endurance with endurance at the level of the spirit, not just for themselves but for their province and the entire Congregation, Korea's prenovices and novices (7 of the former, 4 of the latter) have carried out a novel pilgrimage.
The Korea Province is dedicated to the Korean Martyrs, a group that involves some 15,000 Korean Catholics who paid the ultimate price for their faith over a hundred year period of persecution that began in 1789 and lasted across the period of Don Bosco's birth and life almost until the year he died - of course all that in another country and culture, but it has been enough to inspire this group of young intending Salesians, with the backing of the Provincial Formation Commission, to undertake an arduous 200 km pilgrimage, on foot.
Within the framework of the Bicentenary preparations, the group, accompanied by Fr Marcelo Baek who stands in as novice master while the current novice master recovers from a car accident, has walked from one holy place to another, there being shrines to many martyrs groups throughout the land: from Beti to Seo Ko San; on to Kong Sae Ri; thence to Sol Mae; Sol Mae to Hae Mi; then to Kalmi, the 'holiest of the holy places.
200 kms means 200 potential intentions! The group has prayed for the Congregation as it prepares for the Bicentenary, the GC27 preparations and the health of the Rector Major. At Province level it has prayed for the spiritual fervour of all confreres as they too prepare for these events, and that includes the 15th Provincial Chapter in 2013. The Missions Councillor has asked them to bear in mind prayerfully the 42 new missionaries lining up for 2012 all all missionaries who have to face difficulty throughout the world.
The pilgrimage, with some real-time photos sent in to www.ibosco.net is well-documented (if you can read Korean!) and includes messages of support from around the Province as they walk.
And there is one more intention they have - for themselves. Each pilgrim, sporting a DB 200 T-shirt prepared for the occasion, is walking with the intention of laying down his life for the Lord in whatever day-to-day 'martyrdom' the Lord may call for. They want to savour the zeal of their country's martyrs and Don Bosco's ardour of the Da mihi animas cetera tolle
The '200' pilgrimage that combines martyrdom and Salesian renewal
The Korea Province is dedicated to the Korean Martyrs, a group that involves some 15,000 Korean Catholics who paid the ultimate price for their faith over a hundred year period of persecution that began in 1789 and lasted across the period of Don Bosco's birth and life almost until the year he died - of course all that in another country and culture, but it has been enough to inspire this group of young intending Salesians, with the backing of the Provincial Formation Commission, to undertake an arduous 200 km pilgrimage, on foot.
Within the framework of the Bicentenary preparations, the group, accompanied by Fr Marcelo Baek who stands in as novice master while the current novice master recovers from a car accident, has walked from one holy place to another, there being shrines to many martyrs groups throughout the land: from Beti to Seo Ko San; on to Kong Sae Ri; thence to Sol Mae; Sol Mae to Hae Mi; then to Kalmi, the 'holiest of the holy places.
200 kms means 200 potential intentions! The group has prayed for the Congregation as it prepares for the Bicentenary, the GC27 preparations and the health of the Rector Major. At Province level it has prayed for the spiritual fervour of all confreres as they too prepare for these events, and that includes the 15th Provincial Chapter in 2013. The Missions Councillor has asked them to bear in mind prayerfully the 42 new missionaries lining up for 2012 all all missionaries who have to face difficulty throughout the world.
The pilgrimage, with some real-time photos sent in to www.ibosco.net is well-documented (if you can read Korean!) and includes messages of support from around the Province as they walk.
And there is one more intention they have - for themselves. Each pilgrim, sporting a DB 200 T-shirt prepared for the occasion, is walking with the intention of laying down his life for the Lord in whatever day-to-day 'martyrdom' the Lord may call for. They want to savour the zeal of their country's martyrs and Don Bosco's ardour of the Da mihi animas cetera tolle
