The Catholic Times had an article on the first foreign mission society established in the United States for Americans in 1911—The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Father Gerard Hammond, the local superior of the Korean unit, in an interview with the newspaper, gave his impressions on the work of missioners."You must fall in love with people who you come to serve. This love should begin with understanding their religion and culture and looking at their needs through dialogue; we should give unconditional love to people in mission fields with patience and enthusiasm."
In particular, "We should not compare the culture of the mission field with the culture of the missionary's home country. Instead of trying to inject my culture, we should try to accept good things in the religion and culture of the mission field." He is there to bring Christ and not his home countries' culture. The missionaries need to make an effort to see what the people need, rather than only what they want to give, he is not sent to be a 'lone ranger'.
On the other hand, he pointed out that for the evangelization of Asia, there should be an interest in Asia on the part of the believers. At the time of the founding of the Maryknoll Society, efforts were made to inform American believers of why they should be engaged in Asian missions.
To advance our relationship with North Korea, this has to be done getting all involved with a desire for unification and making efforts for its realization with continual interchanges and contacts. The evangelization of Asia requires the same type of interest, extended to the seminaries, to create an atmosphere for Asian evangelization.
Korea has been blessed with many vocations for the clerical and religious life and with an intelligent laity, they should be a leader in the evangelization of Asia. In Korea the days of Western missionaries have passed. Koreans are similar in appearance to other Asians and there is a common Asian culture with Confucianism and Buddhism. With the history of the church in Korea, the martyrdom of so many for the faith, this should help vitalize the church in its missionary outlook.
He prays that they will have some of the zeal of their ancestors in the faith to continue the efforts for the evangelization of Asia.
