From Asia to Latin America, with Love
Talk about cross-cultural communication: Maryknoll Father Kyungsu Son is helping train 130 Korean Catholic missioners to work in Latin America. He needs your help to organize workshops on the different cultures of the people the new missioners will serve.
Korea's Catholic bishops and religious superiors are ready, willing and able to support mission in Latin America, according to Father Kyungsu Son, a Maryknoll missioner in Peru.
Last October, Son visited his native Korea, where he met with Archbishop Andrew Choi of Kwangju, president of the Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference, and Bishop Peter Kang of Cheju Island, who is responsible for Korean overseas missions. Son also visited Bishop Paul Choi of Suwon and the superiors of several congregations of women religious.
"The response was very positive," Son said. "Everywhere I went people were eager to help."
The purpose of his trip was to inform the Korean Catholic Church about the Korean Catholic Mission Association in Latin America, known by its Spanish acronym, AMICAL. The association represents some 130 Korean priests, Sisters, Brothers, seminarians and laity in 13 Latin American countries. Son, who helped found AMICAL, was elected its president in 2003. Until his trip, the Korean bishops knew little about it.
Archbishop Andrew Choi asked Son for background papers on AMICAL, its history and objectives, in Korean, English and Spanish for all bishops and religious superiors in Korea and for bishops in Latin American countries where Korean missioners are working.
"The archbishop indicated that once the Korean bishops knew more about AMICAL, they would be willing to send personnel and financial support," Son said. "They will also open the doors for funding from Adveniat (the German bishops' Catholic relief agency)."
Bishop Paul Choi told Son he would like to send 30 percent of his diocese's clergy to missions in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He also offered scholarships for Peruvian seminarians.
Your gift is an answer to the hopes and prayers of those we serve in mission. Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers will use your donation to support this
special appeal and other similar appeals. All financial contributions to Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers are tax-deductible.
