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
