Romance Of Mission

 

In the  National Reconciliation and Unity column of the  Catholic Peace Weekly, the principal of a Korean Language  school in England titles her article: Begin and Someone Will Help.

In the summer of 2019, there was a research presentation by young female researchers at the Catholic Northeast Asia Peace Institute, and they asked the writer to come if possible. 'Do I really have to go there?' She hesitated but went. The place was the Maryknoll Foreign Mission Society House in Seoul Korea.

 

One presenter talked about ‘remembering’. She said that memories that are not welcomed by the world are "like a self inflicted death." She remembered the back of an elderly Maryknoll priest she saw in the hallway that day, and mentioned it during the discussion. "Memories can be  suicidal, but most are death from natural causes." The lives and experiences of the elderly disappear with their death, so she hopes that the young will be interested in oral history.

 

A few days later, the head priest called. He asked her to take the oral history of Father Hamjedo (Fr. Jerry Hammond  of Maryknoll). The proposal came back like a boomerang. She soon had to return to England. 'Should I do it?' She had doubts, but decided to do it. Two talented young researchers soon joined. Thanks to their hard work, the project ended well.

 

She believed in the ability and dedication of the people she was working with, and it was already quite enjoyable to work with them. 「A Missionary's Journey: The Story of Father Hamjedo Who Loved North and South Korea」 was created that way. It contains the love and adventure, disappointment and frustration, and overcoming remorse of an American missionary who lived in Korea for 60 years.

 

The institute hoped to publish this book in English and  asked her to translate. She thought this to be  beyond her competence nevertheless, she  decided to do it. Her husband helped. He is British and  fluent in English. 

 

On May 10, the 100th anniversary of the Maryknoll Society's missionary work in the Korean Peninsula, a translated version of 「The Romance of the Mission」 was published. Sadly, the  Maryknoll Society in Korea has moved out of the old building. Father Ham was heartbroken by the loss, and believes this book was a small consolation. It is fortunate  that his memory of life in Korea has not disappeared from the world.

 

She has constantly asked: "Why should I?" She hesitated, because she wanted others to join in the effort and people joined. They turned the hardships of work into pleasure, and we made up for each other's deficiencies. So, if you think in your heart that something is the right thing to do, but you wonder whether it's you who should do it, just start. Then surely someone will help.