The priestly ordination Mass for Deacons Peter Dao Anh Tuan SJ and Paul Sung Byung-joon SJ was celebrated on 1 July at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, presided over by Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul. Priests, religious, and lay faithful filled the cathedral, praying that the two new priests would faithfully walk the path of true shepherds.

This year’s ordination carried special significance: it was the first time that a Jesuit from the Vietnamese Province was ordained to the priesthood in Korea. Fr Dao’s ordination stood as a powerful sign of the Jesuit mission of solidarity and collaboration within the universal Church, one that transcends borders and languages.

In his homily during the ordination rite, Archbishop Chung reflected on the sacred ministry and mission of the priesthood. He urged the new priests to meditate continually on the law of God, to teach what they believe, and to practise what they teach. He also called on them to build up the Church of God by word and example so that their teaching might become spiritual nourishment for the faithful and their lives of fidelity a source of joy.

In interviews given before their ordination, the two new priests shared their vocation stories and their hopes for the future.

Fr Dao entered the Society of Jesus in Vietnam and first came to Korea for his Regency, one of the stages of Jesuit formation. Since then, he has accompanied people on the margins through Yiutsari, the Jesuit Migrant Center, helping undocumented migrant workers defend their labour rights and recover unpaid wages and finding great consolation in teaching English to children from multicultural families. Having lived as a foreigner himself, Fr Dao said he came to understand the hearts of migrants more deeply. He expressed his desire to keep walking alongside those on the margins, describing the priesthood as a journey of service to the People of God.

Fr Sung recalled a time in his university years when he and his friends were involved in a traffic accident while on a volunteer trip. He survived but lost a close friend. The grief of that loss left a deep wound in his heart. He found healing during the 30-day Spiritual Exercises after he entered the Society of Jesus, when his encounter with the wounded Christ brought him profound consolation. Fr Sung expressed his gratitude to God, who called him to the priesthood and uses him as an instrument despite his limitations, and pledged to become a priest who listens better today than yesterday so as to serve the People of God wholeheartedly.

Newly ordained priests Fr Paul Sung Byung-joon SJ and Fr Peter Dao Anh Tuan SJ give their first priestly blessing to Archbishop of Seoul Peter Chung Soon-taick

After the Mass, words of congratulation and encouragement were offered to the newly ordained.

Archbishop Chung said, “The ordination of a Vietnamese Jesuit in the Korea Province is a sign that bears witness to the light of the Gospel throughout Asia and the wider international community.” He asked the faithful to continue supporting the new priests with their prayers and encouragement.

Fr Javier Hwang Jeong-yeon SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits in Korea, then expressed his deep gratitude to all the priests, religious, and faithful who had gathered from Korea and abroad, including the United States, Vietnam, and Cambodia. “Thanks to the prayers and love of countless benefactors, the Church has been given two new priests today,” he said. “Please continue to pray for them, that they may joyfully serve the People of God as good shepherds.”