Korean church: Three decades of welcome

By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic

WEST HOLLYWOOD |When Maria Kim and her husband, Mike Moon, moved to South Florida from Boston in 2008, they sought one thing especially: a Korean church. They found it at St. Paul Chung Ha Sang.

"We were so happy when we found it," said Kim after the church's recent 30th anniversary celebration, on the grounds of the old Madonna Academy campus. "We have a strong bond with South Korea. And our two kids feel like we're all family members."

Many of the 150 attendees voiced matching sentiments as they prayed, sang, danced, worshiped and dined together at the Dec. 21 event. And they looked toward the future.

"Too fast!" Leonia Lim said with a smile, when asked her feelings about the 30-year mark. She and her late husband, Augustin Lim, were among the four families that founded the church.

The Mass brought Archbishop Thomas Wenski and Msgr. Jean Pierre, head of the archdiocesan Ministry to Cultural Groups. They marched slowly up the aisle along with the church's pastor, Father Bongmoon Lee, to the chancel cross, to which were attached three smaller crosses made with palm fronds.

Providing music was a 13-voice choir accompanied by four violins, two cellos, clarinet and keyboard. They performed a variety of hymns, praise and worship and Baroque music.

Attending were 150 well-dressed congregants, shunning the more casual garb of many American churchgoers. Most men were in dark suits and ties, with women in dresses or pantsuits. A few of the women wore the billowing traditional dresses called hanboks, in bright colors like red, pink and green.

Visiting were members of Korean communities in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. Those groups, along with Miami and Tallahassee, cooperate in training lay leaders, and even hold an annual golf tournament.

They listened attentively, hands pressed together prayerfully, as Archbishop Wenski intoned "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" in Korean.

A distinctly Asian touch: As he consecrated the Eucharistic bread and wine, a parishioner lightly struck a resonant gong rather than ring bells.

The archbishop’s homily linked the concept of a church home as "the Father's House" with the Incarnation, of God dwelling with humanity through the birth of Jesus.

"His presence in the world changes everything," he said. "That’s the reason for the joy of the Gospel. The heart of our faith is what God is up to in Jesus Christ.

"Every nation and culture can be fertile ground in which the Gospel can grow. The Church seeks to be a home for all cultures."

He offered advice to 10 confirmands of the parish: "You are to bring Christ to your world. Bring others to encounter the living Christ in you. You can profess your faith without fear and without shame."

He then prayed and anointed them with a dab of oil, making the sign of the cross with a fingertip on each forehead.

As the Mass wound down, the church sprang a surprise. First, two tiny, beaming girls in hanboks walked up the aisle with a basket of white roses. Then, Father Lee presented the archbishop with a framed picture of 103 Korean martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984.

Archbishop Wenski smiled and nodded, saying, "Kam-sa ham-ni-da" � "Thank you" in Korean.

He added that he had visited Korea in 1996 and visited the sites of the martyrs. The revelation brought "Ahhhhs" from the congregation.

"Thank you for loving and supporting us," Father Lee said. "We remember you always in the Korean Catholic community."

Dinner on the lawn packed everyone under a large tent. A surprisingly cross-cultural menu included not only Korean favorites like kimchi and fried fish cakes, but also Japanese-style sushi � and a whole roast pig from a Cuban restaurant.

Entertainment featured a line dance by church members, plus a taekwon-do class demonstration. Master K.C. Chung, a former chairman of the church council, broke a board with his fist � then emcee Kevin Kim, vice chairman for the council, challenged Archbishop Wenski to do the same. After brief instructions, the archbishop succeeded � with a mercifully thinner board � and was awarded a black belt and applause.

In an interview, Archbishop Wenski praised Korean Catholics for their tradition of lay involvement. He said the faith spread to Korea after philosophers read Bibles, then asked the Church in China for a priest.

"Koreans have always understood that the laity are the main agents of evangelization," he said. "It's not the job of priests and nuns."

St. Paul Chung Ha Sang was born of need: As people moved to South Florida, they began attending Korean Protestant churches, rather than non-Korean Catholic churches.

"We had to start a Korean church to bring them back," Leonia Lim said.

The congregants worshiped for a decade at Nativity Church in Hollywood, then moved to their present home. Besides Mass and catechism, they teach Korean language and hold twice-weekly Bible studies.

As St. Paul Chung Ha Sang has grown, it has welcomed many others. Among them are Luis Sanchez and his wife, Jihye Bae. They met at the University of Florida and took part in the Korean community there as well.

"I tried American churches, but I miss Korea so much, and I have no family here," she said. "I came here, and the people were so welcoming."

She attended three or four months alone, then persuaded Luis to come with her. The church's warm welcome drew him to join, too. He now teaches catechism there.

But St. Paul Chung Ha Sang has had growing pains for awhile and has formed a committee to look into buying its own place.

"Thirty years is a long time," said J.D. Kim, who has attended St. Paul Chung Ha Sang for five years with his wife and their three children. "It's good to make another jump, spiritually and physically."

Given the reach of the church � members attend from an area ranging from Weston to West Palm Beach to Pinecrest � the ideal spot would be north of Miramar and south of Sunrise, west of University Drive and east of U.S. 27. But first must come the search and fundraising campaign. Total cost could reach $3 million, Kevin Kim said.

"We're so close to having a church, but not yet," said council chairman Joseph Suh, wearing a purple tunic and pants that form the men's version of the hanbok.

If the campaign goes as well as the anniversary celebration, though, St. Paul Chung Ha Sang may find a new home in the not-too-distant future.

"I'm very happy, and impressed," said Elizabeth Cho, an organizer of the anniversary event, during a rare pause between shooting photos at the dinner. "We prepared this in four weeks. Everyone works hard to support and grow the church."