By Fr. Joseph Phuoc

Valdocco, 15 June 2024 -- On June 12, 2024, the Rector Major appointed Fr. Marcello Baek SDB as the new Provincial of Korea for the next six years (2024-2030).

Fr. Marcello Baek (born in 1964) joined the Salesian Congregation after his Master's Degree Studies in Microbial Engineering. He made his Novitiate in the community of Jeong Rim Dong and the first religious Profession in1993. After practical training in the Ilgokdong community, he was sent to Italy for Specific Formation (Gerini) and was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. He continued his studies in UPS for Licentiate in Youth Ministry and returned to his Province in 2003, taking different responsibilities in the Province as Master of Novices (2004-2005), Delegate for Formation (2004-2007; 2015-2019), Delegate for Youth Ministry (2006-2015; 2023-preset), Delegate for Salesian Family (2022-2023) and Vice-Provincial (2014-2023). He was asked to assume these responsibilities at the Provincial level with the role of leadership in local communities such as the Provincial House, Daerim dong, Don Bosc Youth Center, Secretary, president of vocational school, etc.

The Salesian Family in the world join the confreres and the Salesian Family in Korea to pray for his leadership. We believe that he will bring such wide and rich experiences in formation and youth ministry into his animation and governance of the Province.

Currently, the Salesians of the Province of Korea are working in 6 Dioceses with one large regular school, three alternative schools (admitting the young for special high school programs), and a number of youth Centers that offer various services to the young in need of psychological accompaniment and treatment. Even though the province serves only one parish and one school, it has a great number of Salesian Cooperators who are very active in their parishes and workplaces. These works target the left-behind and problematic young people. With the Salesian Preventive System, the Salesians and their lay mission partners accompany these young people and bring them back to the family, the school, and society as good and productive people as well as good Christians. In such a way, God regularly blesses the Province with vocations when the young volunteers witness under their eyes the transformation of those "Magone" into "Savio" boys.

Also, for the last decade, the Province has been very generous in solidarity with other Salesian Provinces and the Congregation, attending to the needs of the missions abroad and responding to them with effective means.

May God bless Fr. Marcello Baek to continue the journey God is calling him and his confreres as He called Fr. John Lee SDB, the youth apostle with the smiles we saw in the documentary film "Don't Cry for Me, Tonj (Sudan)!"

---

---