The Incheon Diocese will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of it establishment in 2011. It will
be the same year that Maryknoll will be celebrating the 100th. The organization behind the celebration is being done in a Korean manner, extremely thorough in every way.
The motto will be "New Pentecost 2011"
In remembrance of our 50 years we plan:
[1] Development of the Diocese and the spiritual growth of priests.
[2] Renewal of our Faith and evangelization.
[3] Share loving life
[4] To build a 50th commemorative Church and center for spirituality.
[5] Development of our pilgrimage sites and compilation of our 50 year history.
There will be a Road Map for the 3 years:
[1] 2009 Renewal year
[2] 2010 Year of growth
[3] 2011 Year of thanks
The Prayer for the 50th ( a very free translation)
God the Father who has sent Jesus for the salvation of all human kind,
with unlimited mercy you enabled us to establish this diocese and with
the passing of the years daily to nurture its growth we give you thanks.
As we are prepare for the 50 anniversary we look back over the years
"Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former" (Haggai 2,9)
Allow us to takes these words as a pillar of fire, a promise to serve as springboard for the future.
"Go to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1,8) you have given us a mission,
with the help of the Spirit we will make use of all our strength,
for the new evangelization , the evangelization of those who have left, and the
evangelization of our society. Help us to have visible results .
Let the diocese grow even more and may we be beginning a new spring.
Help us be an instrument in the evangelization of Asia and the whole of the world.
We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen
When the Diocese was established in June,1961 Bishop William J. McNaughton,M.M was the first bishop. The diocese was characterized as a mission area where the Gospel had not yet been proclaimed. As a result, there was a remarkable growth of the Church. At the time of the establishment of the diocese, there were only 9 parishes with a total number of 23,169 Catholics. The priests working in the diocese were all Maryknollers. Today there are 243 priests working in the diocese. There are 111 parishes and 35 mission stations and not one Maryknoller left working in a parish. That is progress and we pray that there will be more of the same in the years to come.
An E-mail from Mexico
One of the priests of the diocese is now in Mexico taking care of the pastoral needs of Koreans residing in Mexico. He sent all of us an e-mail which I will put into English.
"Hello everybody.I am sorry that I am again sending you an e-mail.
Since you are hearing news about Mexico I am unhesitatingly sending you
another e-mail. The news you are hearing is the reality of the situation.
The city I am in is the center of the swine virus epidemic.
The results are: The schools are all closed.
Daily Mass and Sunday Mass all forbidden. Replaced by a
broacasted Mass. This is an order from the Cardinal of Mexico City.
All meetings are forbidden
Masks can't be found, the government has supplied simple masks which are used (you can't buy masks and I am looking around for them)
All events canceled.
All selling along the roads forbidden.
All the taverns and eating places closed.
Business in the markets are recommended to stop.
However, I am in good health. No need to worry. I am also participating in the fast. I give thanks to God's providence for presenting me with this road to maturity. I ask for your prayers and will be with you in my prayers."
