austraLasia #2393

Evangelisation boom in Korean Church

SEOUL: 5th April 2009 -- If the Salesian Parish at Guro 3 Dong Church in Seoul is something to go by, evangelisation is booming in the Korean Church. Seventy one people received baptism there on Saturday 4th April, including the cook from the provincial house nearby. She is an immigrant from Manchuria. The rite of baptism was celebrated by parish priest Fr Benjamin Kim.
    Baptisms are held monthly at the parish, on an odds and evens basis - odd months for children and evens for catechumens. The catechumens go through the usual preparation process envisaged by the RCIA, usually in groups of 30, with the assistance of various parish ministers.
    Almost every two months throughout the year, then, there are significantly large numbers of catechumens ready for baptism. Around Easter and Christmas they bring more than one group together, accounting for the 70 or so this time around.  So with something like 250 new baptisms of catechumens annually, a smaller number of children, the number of baptisms per year is 300 plus. Most of the catechumens are younger adults.
    The Catholic Church in Korea makes up 10% of the population and numbers around 5 million. It is estimated that annually this number increases by around 150,000.
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Title: australasia 2393
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces KOR evangelisation
Date (year): 2009