The Society of Jesus in Korea celebrates three new Jesuit priests: Fr Kim Min-cheol John, Fr Yeo Myoung-mo Paul Ha Sang, and Fr Kim Kun-dong Benedict. They were ordained to the priesthood on June 29 at Myung-dong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. More than 1,100 people participated in the ordination mass concelebrated by His Eminence Andrew Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung DD, Archbishop of Seoul, and 100 priests. During his homily, Cardinal Yeom called for the newly ordained Jesuits to be good shepherds who serve Christ, read the Scripture, believe the Word and do what they will teach.
Fr Kim Min-cheol John studied Social Studies (with Economics as second major) in university and worked in the financial sector after graduation before entering the Society in February 2006. After taking his first vows in 2008, he studied Philosophy at the Graduate School of Theology (GST) in Sogang University from 2008 to 2011. For his regency, he went to the Philippines to work as a teacher of Christian Life Education in Xavier School, the Jesuit-run school for Chinese descendants in Manila from 2011 to 2013. He returned to Korea to do his theology studies in Sogang University before completing his final year of theology studies at Loyola School of Theology in Manila, the Philippines.
Fr Yeo Myoung-mo Paul Ha Sang entered the Society in 2006. After taking his first vows in 2008, he completed a combined philosophy-theology studies programme at Sogang’s GST in 2010. During regency, he worked at the Province Vocation Promotion Office as Assistant to the Director in Seoul. In 2013, he was sent to New Taipei, Taiwan to do his Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (STB) and to complete his priesthood theological preparation at the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St Robert Bellarmine.
Fr Kim Kun-dong Benedict entered the Novitiate in Suwon, Korea, in 2006. He took his first vows in 2008 and studied philosophy at Sogang’s GST. For his regency, he taught English and accompanied candidates in Yangon, Myanmar for two years. From 2013 to 2016, he studied theology at Heythrop College in London.
In September, Fr Kim Min-cheol John and Fr Yeo Myoung-mo Paul Ha Sang will be assigned to different parishes for six months to a year for priestly pastoral experience. Fr Kim Kun-dong Benedict will go to the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome to study Sacred Scripture.
