Seoul World Youth Day

The 2027 Seoul World Youth Day (WYD) is taking a step forward in becoming an event shaped by the global Church, moving beyond preparations led solely by the host nation. Youth ministry representatives from around the world will gather in Korea to share the event's vision and the status of preparations and discuss concrete measures to encourage youth participation in their respective countries. 

This article appeared in the Korean Catholic Times.

The "2nd International Preparatory Meeting" for the 2027 Seoul WYD will be held at an Incheon hotel from September 14 to 17. This conference is jointly hosted and organized by the Holy See’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life (DLFL), the Seoul WYD Organizing Committee, and the Archdiocese of Seoul, with sponsorship from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Approximately 400 people will attend, including youth ministry representatives from dioceses and organizations across 190 countries, members of the Holy See’s International Youth Advisory Body (IYAB), organizing committee officials, and volunteers. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the DLFL, will also attend to review preparations and meet with the participants.

The conference agenda includes a variety of sessions and programs. 

The "DID EXPO" will be held on the 15th. This expo serves as a venue to introduce representatives from various countries to the programs planned for diocesan-level gatherings across Korea leading up to the main 2027 Seoul WYD event. Dioceses will set up booths to showcase their welcoming programs and details regarding their respective local gatherings. Currently, 13 of the 15 dioceses are scheduled to participate.

On the 16th, participants will travel to Seoul to attend Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral. Archbishop Peter Chung will preside over the Mass in English, accompanied by the Seoul WYD choir and orchestra.

Through this International Preparatory Meeting, participants are expected to gain firsthand insight into the concrete preparations and programs for Seoul WYD and experience the local Church and culture, thereby heightening their anticipation and commitment to the event.

The Organizing Committee plans to use this meeting to share the current status and vision of Seoul WYD with youth ministry officials from around the world. By actively incorporating diverse opinions from participating nations, the committee aims to further refine preparations to ensure the event's success.

10th Anniversary of Canonization

Mother Teresa Marks 10th Anniversary of Canonization; Her Legacy of Love Endures. Article reproduced from the Korean Catholic Times.

On September 4, 2016, the Catholic Church canonized Mother Teresa, presenting her as a disciple of Christ and a model of one who received God's mercy and shared it with her neighbors.

Although a decade has passed since Saint Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) was canonized, her spirit of love and mercy toward the poor and abandoned continues to live on in corners of the world today.

The Catholic Church canonized Mother Teresa on September 4, 2016. The Church proclaimed her a saint not because of the external achievement of growing the Missionaries of Charity into a global religious order, but because of a life spent surrendering herself to God's will and sharing His mercy with the most marginalized.

At the age of 18, Mother Teresa left her hometown—present-day Skopje, North Macedonia—to join the Sisters of Loreto. Later, while working as a teacher in Kolkata, India, she experienced a life-changing moment on September 10, 1946, while aboard a train bound for Darjeeling. It is said that through this experience—which she later described as a "call within a call"—Jesus Christ asked her to leave the school, go out into the streets, and personally care for the poor and the abandoned.

After leaving her convent in 1948, Mother Teresa began caring for the dying on the streets, washing children, and distributing food to the hungry. On October 7, 1950, the Missionaries of Charity was officially established as a religious congregation within the Archdiocese of Kolkata.

The Missionaries of Charity grew rapidly thereafter; by the time of Mother Teresa’s passing in 1997, the order had over 4,000 members active in 610 locations across 123 countries. Although she became a global figure—receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, among other honors—she always emphasized that all the fruits of her and the order's labor originated from God.

Mother Teresa often said, "Let us love one another just as God loves each one of us." For her, love did not remain merely in words or thoughts; it was expressed through concrete actions—washing, holding the hands of, and smiling at those whom society had turned away.

Mother Teresa was not a perfect human being, and her work faced criticism. Yet, she sought and accepted valid criticism and, above all, never wavered in her calling to share God’s love and mercy with the humblest and most abandoned people.

Even today, as we mark the 10th anniversary of her canonization, the ongoing work of the Missionaries of Charity invites us to reflect on the message left by her life: that God’s mercy is revealed through small acts of love extended to the most marginalized. 

Rohingya Refugees

In the Window of the Ark column of the Korea Times, the Director of the Jesuit Center for Human Rights Solidarity gives us some understanding and background to the Rohingya massacre: "Until Everyone Is Safe".

Not long ago, marking the ninth anniversary of the Rohingya massacre, various civil society groups standing in solidarity with Rohingya refugees gathered to host a screening of the film *Lost Land*. The film chronicles the journey of a sister, Somira, and her younger brother, Shafi, as they leave a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh and travel thousands of kilometers toward Malaysia, where their uncle lives. Enduring rough seas, scorching heat, and thirst, their boat eventually reaches the coast of southern Thailand. 

Their journey was far from simple. At every stage of their escape, local brokers extorted money from them; those unable to pay were beaten to death. Even in a Thai border village, residents who initially appeared kind and helpful ultimately sold the refugees to brokers.

Amidst the harsh realities of forced displacement and the struggle for survival, the children play hide-and-seek, singing the "Mugunghwa Has Bloomed" song with playful gestures. The sound of children’s laughter echoing from within an abandoned house is like a soft light spreading gradually through the deep darkness. These children are striving to reclaim the time that was stolen from them. Such moments are not merely breaks; they represent the resilience that keeps the children moving forward. Drawing upon cozy memories of the past and creative survival strategies that seem beyond the reach of ordinary people, the children gradually begin to assert their humanity—declaring "we, too, are people"—in the face of a world intent on stripping them of everything.

A doctor who provided child psychotherapy in the Gaza Strip once remarked that he found it utterly incomprehensible how children could laugh in such circumstances. And indeed, it is hard to fathom. If I were to imagine being arbitrarily cast into a strange and perilous place—a place where I belonged nowhere and was welcomed by no one—could I possibly endure and survive for even a single moment? That is why refugees require a very special life skill: the capacity to endure situations in which they do not truly belong. Amidst the chaos, vulnerability, and exposure to raw terror, they must hold fast to a perspective that still seeks out moments of wonder. They must harbor a tenacious resilience that allows them to sustain a dignified, human life in defiance of a world that refuses to see them as human. The laughter of Somira and Shafi was precisely that kind of resilience.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, observed under the theme "Until Everyone Is Safe." While the world’s refugee population is often tallied in terms of scale and numbers, the actual lives of these individuals remain rarely understood. By the end of last year, over 117 million people had been forced to leave their homes; of these, more than 30 million were refugees. Yet, behind these statistics lie the human faces—and the families and stories—of those who fled war, persecution, and starvation. Refugees possess a "million stories." 

The Refugee Convention is increasingly being rendered ineffective, creating an inhumane world that confines human worth within the narrow boundaries of utility and citizenship. Refugees are treated not as people deserving of protection, but as threats to prosperity and security. Their faces and life stories are erased, and they are shuffled like mere objects between nations and detention camps. Such inhumanity ultimately serves only to spread alienation, prejudice, hostility, and violence. 

Pope Leo XIII also reminds us that if we are to truly "remain human," we must resist the tendency to succumb to fear and treat others as alien "others." He urges us to "engage in sincere dialogue, meet face-to-face with those who have become targets of fear and exclusion... and constantly raise our voices" 

A few years ago, I visited a Rohingya refugee camp. Endless rows of shacks stood packed together on a vast, dust-covered plain. The difference between living in a comfortable home in Seoul and staying in a shack at a Rohingya refugee camp is, quite simply, a matter of chance. There is no reason why any specific person *must* be in one place rather than the other. In the deepest sense, we are all displaced wanderers, still searching for the place where we truly belong. Standing in solidarity with the displaced helps us find that very place where we ought to be. I wonder what other path for humanity could possibly exist.

* The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group in Myanmar, have long suffered from discrimination and violence. They were stripped of their citizenship in 1982, rendering them all stateless. In August 2017, the Myanmar military launched a massive operation in Rakhine State—home to the Rohingya people—causing over 700,000 people to flee to Bangladesh within two months. The United Nations characterized this crisis as "genocide."

Talk Concert with North Korean Defectors

Seoul Lay Apostolate Council to Host Talk Concert with Young North Korean Defectors on September 5, as reported in the Korea Times. 

An event is being organized for young people from both South and North Korea to share their lives and reflect on the meaning of "community living together." 

The Seoul Lay Apostolate Council will host the "2026 Talk Concert: Unification Arrived Early—Living Together as One" on September 5 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM in the auditorium on the 7th floor of the Catholic Center in Myeong-dong, Seoul.

Organized by the Seoul Council’s Youth Committee, this talk concert aims to highlight the lives of young North Korean defectors as they settle into South Korean society and to foster mutual understanding between young people from the South and North, demonstrating that they are already living together within a single community.

The event will begin with a presentation by the Vice-Chairman of the Committee for National Reconciliation of the Archdiocese of Seoul, followed by an introduction to "Ttiatmeori" A musical performance by the young members of Ttiatmeori is also scheduled.

Subsequently, the representative of Ttiatmeori will join young people from both the South and North for a discussion. They will share stories about their experiences—meeting and building relationships despite growing up in different environments, and the realities of living together.

Ttiatmeori is a mentoring community for young people from South and North Korea, established in 2011 under the Congregation of the Korean Martyrs (Clerics of the Korean Martyrs). Young people from both North and South Korea are coming together—transcending religious boundaries—to discuss issues such as employment, career paths, settlement, and daily life, and to share their personal stories.

The Chair of the Youth Committee at the Seoul Lay Apostolate Council stated, "I hope young people from North Korea feel genuine interest and love—free from prejudice—and are able to settle successfully into society and lead healthy lives." She added, "I hope this gathering serves as an opportunity for us to view these young people as fellow members of our community."

Korea' s Flower Village

50th Anniversary of ‘Kkotdongne’… Blooming ‘Flowers of Love’ in a Sanctuary for the Homeless

Started with a 1976 meeting with the late Choi Gwi-dong; grew into a welfare community embracing the homeless, the elderly, and the disabled; commemorative event to be held at Kkotdongne in Eumseong on the 8th.

The Kkotdongne Foundation (hereinafter "Kkotdongne"), which began with a meeting on September 12, 1976, between Father Oh Woong-jin (John the Apostle; Brothers of Kkotdongne of Jesus) and the late Choi Gwi-dong (birth name Gyeong-rak; Peter), is marking its 50th anniversary. Over the past five decades, Kkotdongne has stood as a friend to the poor and marginalized, dreaming of a world where "not a single person is cast aside." We share the story of the "miracle of love" created by humble hearts—tracing the journey of Kkotdongne from its inception to the present day—along with a message from its founder, Father Oh Woong-jin.

Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the Kkotdongne Foundation has cared for the poor since its establishment on September 12, 1976, striving to create a world where no one is abandoned. Pictured are founder Father Oh Woong-jin (right) and the late Choi Gwi-dong. Catholic Times archive photo

A Miracle That Began with 1,300 Won

After being ordained as a priest in May 1976, Father Oh was assigned to the Mugeuk Parish (now the Mugeuk Outstation of Geumwang Parish) in Eumseong, within the Diocese of Cheongju. On September 12 of that same year, he encountered an elderly man passing by the church. The man, who was walking with a limp, was Grandpa Choi Gwi-dong.

Curious, Father Oh followed him and witnessed Grandpa Choi sharing food—begged from others—with beggars inside a makeshift shack at the foot of Yongdamsan Mountain. Despite his own disability, Grandpa Choi had been caring for 18 beggars—people in even more dire straits than himself—for over 40 years.

That night, Father Oh realized that "even having the strength to beg for food is a grace from the Lord." The next day, he used his entire fortune of 1,300 won to buy cement and began making bricks. His goal was to build a home where those with nowhere else to turn could stay.

The house, completed with the help of parishioners, was named the "House of Love." Following a blessing ceremony on November 15, 1976, Grandpa Choi and the beggars moved into their new home. This act of love, born from one person's humble charity, became the seed that would eventually grow into the community known as Kkotdongne.

Making Someone Happy Daily

How to Make One Person Happy Each Day was the advice of an International Relief Expert and author writing in the Korean Catholic Times, who explains:

Is the desire to help others innate? In my experience, while that might be true in childhood, as we mature, we tend to help because of the sense of fulfillment it brings. Even in academia, the consensus is that while there are genetic differences regarding empathy and prosocial behavior, environmental factors, education, and life experiences also play a combined role.

I took charge of running household errands from the time I was six or seven years old. Once, I asked my mother why she always singled me out—the third child—for these tasks. Her answer was simple: "You always did them willingly without a word of complaint. If I told you to go to the store, you’d dash out the door before I’d even finished speaking." In short, I was the daughter who was easiest to send on errands.

One of those tasks involved relaying telephone messages. In the 1960s, when telephones were a rarity, our house had the only one in the neighborhood. Although it was for my father’s work as a journalist, it received far more calls containing important news for the neighbors. Whenever there was news of a daughter-in-law giving birth, a son getting into university, or a grandfather passing away, I would run all over the neighborhood to deliver the message. The neighborhood elders adored the "third daughter from the house by the well."

After entering elementary school, I was paired as a desk-mate with a friend who used crutches due to polio. Since we lived in the same direction, I simply carried her shoe bag on our way to and from school, yet I was showered with praise from her mother and our teachers. "What exactly did I do so well?" I wondered, feeling a mix of surprise, pride, and happiness.

A turning point in my "life of helping others" came during high school. As penance following confession before Easter, I was assigned to pray ten decades of the Rosary and perform ten acts of "sacrifice." When I asked the nun what "sacrificial penance" meant, she explained it as "willingly making a concession." From that day on, I began giving up my seat to the elderly on the bus, letting my younger sibling have the side dish I liked best, and yielding my turn for the restroom to a friend in a rush. People were grateful, and my mother even gave me extra allowance money, so the side income was quite nice, too.

The greatest gain from that "sacrificial penance" was discovering the "secret formula of helping": that making others happy makes me happy, too. Eventually, during my senior year of high school, I set a life goal to "make one person happy every day"—a practice I have continued ever since. There are countless ways to achieve this goal. A simple compliment—telling a friend an outfit looks great or praising a customer service agent for their kindness—works wonders. Helping a mother with a stroller or paying the bus fare for a student with insufficient funds on their transit card makes me feel even better.

On nights when I haven't managed to make anyone happy, I scroll through my phone contacts, pick someone, and send a message with an emoji asking how they are. Nine times out of ten, I get a delighted reply asking, "What brings this on so late at night?" In that moment, I’ve achieved the day's goal—just in the nick of time.

Over the past 50 years, I’ve brightened the day of at least 18,000 people—one person at a time—and felt a deep sense of fulfillment myself. Having brought joy to so many through small concessions, compliments, and minor acts of help, is there any other activity that offers such incredible value for the effort? That is why I intend to keep doing it for as long as I can. After all, you can do it regardless of whether your legs are weak or your pockets are empty.

That said, the Bible tells us, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3), so I wonder if it is really okay to speak about this so openly. Still, if even one person smiles while reading this, then today’s goal of “bringing joy to one person” has been successfully achieved.

Living By Faith

Tuning In to Faith

Everyone Lives by Faith

Even those who reject faith live by their own beliefs.

If we examine our lives closely, we realize that we cannot live without faith. We drink coffee because we believe it contains no poison; if we believed it did, we would not drink it. We drink coffee, converse with others, and travel by plane—all because of faith.

If we believed that a terrorist had planted a time bomb on a plane bound for Israel, we would not board it. Thus, in our daily lives, we do not live by verifying every single detail, but rather by trusting and believing.

The more we distrust medication or a doctor, the slower the healing process becomes; conversely, the more we trust them, the faster the recovery. The more we place our trust in others, the closer we grow to them; the more we distrust them, the more distant the relationship becomes. Whether we are conscious of it or not, faith forms the deep foundation of our lives and constantly influences us.

Therefore, faith is a fundamental human act.  Some might counter this by arguing, "In reality, there are both believers and non-believers in the world; don't communists live well without believing in God? Therefore, it is possible to live without faith."

However, while this may be theoretically possible, it is impossible in actual life. If we broaden our perspective on human existence and examine it closely, we see those non-believers and communists alike live based on their own forms of faith.

Non-believers live with the firm conviction that "faith is a delusion—an act of believing in something that does not exist," while communists live with the certainty that "the God spoken of by Christians does not exist."

Thus, non-believers and communists are ultimately living by faith as well. No human being can stand outside the realm of faith; paradoxically, their vehement rejection of faith reveals that they, too, live by believing in something.

Today, there are countless non-believers and many who profess atheism. Following Nietzsche’s proclamation of the "death of God," indifference toward religion has steadily deepened in modern times. There are many aspects of this phenomenon that we, as believers, must deeply reflect upon and acknowledge. This situation has arisen because believers have failed to bear witness to the invisible God through their actions and lived practices in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian sage, pointedly addressed this reality: "I love Jesus. But I dislike Christians. Because they do not resemble Jesus."

Such consequences arise when believers fail to live according to their faith and instead allow their faith to be shaped by the way they live. Therefore, we must now move beyond a faith consisting merely of words and become true Christians who bear witness—through love in our daily lives—to the faith we profess.

Written by Fr. Peter Kim Seok-tae  in the Catholic Times (Pastor, Doryong-dong Parish, Diocese of Daejeon)