April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Korean Catholics greet new leader
Making the liturgy and the sacraments more meaningful to Korean Catholics is the goal of the most recent priest to take up residence at St. Mary's rectory on Lodge Street in Albany.
Father Pius Bio Jung, who was ordained in South Korea, will minister to the special needs of Korean Catholics in the Albany Diocese.
Since his summer arrival, Father Pius has celebrated Sunday Mass in Korean at St. Francis de Sales Church on Exchange Street in Albany. He has also officiated at five Korean-American First Communions and one adult Baptism, and participated in the Confirmation of three Korean Catholic youths.
Language barrier
Because he is just beginning to learn English, Father Pius responded to questions from The Evangelist with the help of Rev. James Lefebvre, pastor of St. Mary's.Father Lefebvre, who was named "Jacques" by his French-speaking parents in Canada, knows first-hand the frustrations of tackling English as a second language. He is, therefore, doing all he can to help the Korean priest achieve fluency in English.
It is hoped that achieving bilingualism will make it easier for Father Pius to build bridges of faith and understanding on behalf of the area's Korean Catholics.
No more Pauls
Father Pius is the fourth in a series of Korean missionary priests to minister in the Diocese under the auspices of the Korean Catholic Apostolate since the early 1990s.The first to arrive was Father Paul Lee. He was succeeded by Father Paul Choi, now an auxiliary bishop in South Korea. Next came Father Paul Meang.
"We got so used to having Pauls, it was quite fascinating to get a different papal name like Pius," quips Father Lefebvre, who has picked up a few Korean words and phrases over the years. He's also adopted certain Korean customs, such as bowing when greeting.
Korean Mass
While Father Pius frequently concelebrates the 7 a.m. weekday Masses with Father Lefebvre in English at St. Mary's, the 10 a.m. Sunday Masses at St. Francis de Sales are said exclusively in Korean.Between 75 and 100 Korean-speaking Catholics attend the services. Many are exchange students at nearby colleges, such as the University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.
Father Pius hopes to study psychology at SUNY once he has mastered English. He would like to spend at least two years in the Albany Diocese before being transferred elsewhere.
Enriching
According to Joseph Park, president of Albany's Korean Catholic Apostolate, having priests like Father Pius in the Diocese has greatly enriched the spiritual lives of many of his fellow countrymen and their children."It can be hard for those who don't yet know a great deal of English to follow what is being said during Mass," explained the Korean-born Mr. Park. "It can also be hard for their children to study religious education classes if they can't follow what the teacher is saying."
Thanks to the Korean Catholic Apostolate, which Mr. Park helped found a decade ago, Korean children can participate in religious education classes taught in their native tongue.
(11-28-96)
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