By Soccom Korea

Seoul, Korea, 5 June 2024 -- On 4 June, the 18th Provincial Chapter of the KOR began in the conference room on the 5th floor of the Provincial House in Seoul involving 34 Salesians, 32 delegates and 2 observers. The provincial chapter serves as the province's preparation for the theme of the 29th General Chapter, “Passionate about Jesus Christ, dedicated to young people”.

The provincial chapter has begun with a retreat to open our hearts to better listen to the Holy Spirit in the presence of the Lord. In particular, the participants explored the theme of ‘Synod and Synodality’, which will be the foundation of the provincial chapter's movement. When thinking about the synod, Professor Choi Hyun-soon Theresa (Sogang University), who gave the introductory address, emphasized that the question "Do I consider the person I meet as a companion?" is the measure of the practice of synodal spirit, and said that when we consider the person we meet as a companion, a common path and a common mission emerge. After the introductory lecture, the members stayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour of silence to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Joseph Phuoc, who is concluding his Extraordinary Visitation to the province, opened the afternoon with a closing address in which he shared his perceptions and understanding of the overall situation of the Korean province and the Salesian Family, including the challenges the province must overcome. He expressed his concerns about challenges that the Korean province must overcome, such as the increasingly capitalistic tendencies that are creeping into religious life, the bureaucratization of the members, and the 9 to 6 lifestyle that is becoming the norm. He also recommended that, as Pope Francis calls for a Church that goes forth, we have to look for activities that can be promoted outside of our structures. As he said in yesterday's video interview, he encourages us to work more in the direction of shared responsibility with the laity for Don Bosco's educational mission. He urged confreres to continue their missionary support and to urgently develop pastoral care for young migrant workers in Korea in collaboration with their home provinces.

Following the opening remarks by the Provincial Superior, Fr. Timothy Choi Won-cheol, and an overview by the Moderator, Fr. John Park Jung-woo, the remainder of the first afternoon was devoted to organizing the structure of the Provincial Chapter. The following steps were taken: approval of the Rules of the Chapter, which will serve as the standard for the provincial chapter, appointment of the Facilitator (Fr. Sebastian Lee Se-ba) and Secretary (Fr. Savio Sung Ha-yoon), organization of the commissions, and election of the chairperson of each commission. The Provincial Chapter will be divided into three commissions: the first one will be on the theme of Identity and will be chaired by Fr. Moise Yoon Man-Geun; the second one will be on Mission and will be chaired by Fr. Samuel Yu Myung-il; and the third one will be on the governance of the Congregation and will be chaired by Fr. Leo Byun Yong-kwan.

In the evening, the Assembly continued until late in the day, with reports from the Provincial and Delegates regarding the past session. The Provincial and each Commission (Formation, Youth Ministry, SC, Mission, Family, Finance, eco-spirituality, etc.) presented their areas, reporting on and reviewing the life of the Province during the past session.

Later in the evening, a farewell party was organized for Fr. Joseph Phuoc, who, after the Extraordinary Visitation, will leave early next morning for his next destination, Japan. He was sad to say goodbye to the affectionate of confreres after a short stay of about two months in Korea, during which he visited all the communities, met all confreres and the Salesian family members, and had deep conversations.

The Korean province, he said, is "not just saying what sounds good to listen to..." and will serve as a standard and model for other provinces in the EAO region. He said that other provinces will want to see how the Korean province handles whatever situation they are facing. His words, based on his experience of visiting all the provinces in the EAO, are not just nice to hear, but a great compliment and a heavy burden on our shoulders that we must respond to such expectations.

The Provincial expressed his heartfelt fraternal love and gratitude to the Extraordinary Visitor, Fr. Joseph Phuoc, thanking him for his stay with us and for being an example of a good Salesian life of poverty, diligence, and singular focus on the mission.

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