One of Sydney’s new councils has proven no match for Korean Catholic spirit with Sydney’s Korean Catholic Church shifting their 41st anniversary celebration to Belfield after they were denied permits in two other locations.
The change of plans proved no dampener to celebrations which saw around 1000 people descend upon the park, setting up 12 tents to represent the 12 areas of Sydney in which Korean Catholic communities are present.
Fun and frivolity followed Mass with food, raffles and ball games drawing people of all ages into the day’s many activities.
Amicus youth group from the Korean Catholic Church, The Korean Martyrs & St Stanislaus Church in Silverwater, made a strong representation – solid preparation for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival which they will be attending in two months’ time.
Multiple Masses are held at Silverwater each weekend and throughout the week, a sign of the community’s burgeoning growth.
The Church’s Pastoral Committee, made up of lay people who work in conjunction with parish priest, Fr Joseph Yim, holds monthly meetings to discuss past and future projects.
For local prayer and formation, the Church has organised its members into 12 districts, spread throughout Sydney.
The districts hold weekly, fortnightly or monthly prayer meetings and gospel readings in parishioners’ homes.
Fr Yim is assisted by Fr Stephano Lee, who is also chaplain to the community’s St Stanislaus’ Youth Group, and Fr John Lee. All of them hail from Daejeon Diocese in South Korea
Korean Caritas Sisters of Jesus – Sr Filomena Lee, Sr Marianna Kang and Sr Omer Nam – serve the community with pastoral work, and theological and spiritual formation.