This is a section of Fr.Theisen's dissertation written in July,1989 for the Master's Degree in Applied Spirituality. It's titled, "My Present Theology of Ministry." It received a grade of "A++ Superb!" which made me think I may not be as dumb as I thought.
...The next period of my life is one which gave me great satisfaction, contentment, and sense of fulfillment. These are the nine years spent in a town called Bu Pyeong. The experience of Bu Pyeong still greatly influences me. I was a zealous pastor, perfecting my method of conducting the catechumenate by using only the Bible as a text book and developing a First Communion Preparation book for children. It was during this time I was asked to found the Church's Tribunal system in Korea.
The presence of a large U.S, Army camp on one side of Bu Pyeong brought me a great deal of work processing G.I-Korean girl marriages. With 2000 young American soldiers and 6,000 prostitutes in the camp area of the mission, "Front Street" kept me busy. I became defender and priest of the prostitutes, most of whom took up this profession out of dire destitution and sacrificial love of their parents or family. I hasten to add, however, that not all the girls who came to marry G.Is were prostitutes. We had every class of society in Bu Pyeong but from the beginning I had a special love for the prostitutes of Bu Pyeong, those young girls who sacrificed their body and soul to survive themselves, and to save their families from starvation.
The procedure was for a young country girl whose family is starving or who's father or brother needed medical care to tell her family, "I am going to look for work in the city" she approaches the Madam of a house for a loan which she sends back for her father to receive medical treatment, or for an elder brother to go to school. Then she works as a prostitute till her loan is paid back. In effect giving her life to save her brother. I can understand why Jesus said the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of heaven before the Pharisees. These Korean girls are humble, with no pretense, generous, charitable to anyone who needs help and just plain good. beautiful people.
For about nine years, in cooperation with the US Army Chaplains I ran a weekly instruction class for the girls who were marrying Catholic American soldiers. I ran classes teaching these girls how to use American cosmetics, to avoid G.I. barroom English and how to adjust to American living. In all I counselled some 700 such couples. These girls came feeling rejected, guilty, and anxious because everyone despises them for what they are. The U.S. officials particularly placed every possible obstacle in the way of their marriage. I started by assuming they would marry their soldier boy and gave them what help I could to make their marriage a success. Once a girl realized I was on her side, we became close friends. That Army camp is closed now and my girls have grown up but I love them still. Those I am still in contact with are now middle aged matrons with children in high school or college, who have successfully adjusted to life in the U.S. with their husbands. How proud I feel when one or other searches me out to show off their children!
The question sometimes comes to my mind. Why do I feel so close to these prostitutes? All I know is that I still feel proud of that period in my life when I could walk from one end to the other of Front Street in Bu Pyeong without being accosted by any of the 6,000 girls who walked the streets there. If a new girl in town did try to spear me she would be pulled back by the other girls with the indignant explanation, You don't call out to him. That's Father Tai . He's Our Priest.O
ur Priest. I am still proud to be Their Priest!
