Seoul (Korea). Between 27 December 2025 and 31 January 2026, the Korean Province Morning Star (KOR) held its annual seminar. It lasted two days and was held four times, at the Provincial headquarters in Seoul and at Mary Immaculate Spirituality House in Gwangju, so that all the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the Province could participate.
The meeting – organized and conducted by the Provincial Missionary Commission, coordinated by Sister Sookyong Teresa Choi – aimed to strengthen the missionary identity of the FMA through an in-depth reading of the missionary document; to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the sending of the first missionaries (2027); and to rekindle the missionary and evangelizing passion.
The Seminar opened with a banner bearing the 150th anniversary slogan, “It is time to rekindle the fire.” This was followed by a procession of boats carried on blue canvases, representing the maritime route, with candles symbolizing the first six missionaries. Then the prayer of canonization was invoked upon Saint Maria Troncatti, and the song was intoned, “The Passion of the First Heart.”
The groups then read the document “Go… Re-Understanding the Missionary Mandate,” published by the Institute’s Missions Department and translated into Korean by Sister Maria Domenica Lee Jeong-ja. In the evening, the participants enjoyed a convivial moment with games. Particularly meaningful were the online greetings from the Superior General, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, and the words of encouragement from Sister Ruth del Pilar Mora, General Councilor for the Missions.
On the second day, each group shared their reflections around three questions: Was there anything significant that struck you after reading the missionary document? As an FMA with a “burning heart,” how do you live your missionary passion in your life? (Sharing your experiences within the community, in pastoral work, and with young people.) “Looking forward,” what would you suggest to the Korean Province in order to become a missionary community?
Throughout these days, all the participants reflected on the grace received through Baptism of being sent as missionaries, and made a commitment to live more intensely the missionary calling the Lord has entrusted to each of them. Overall, it was an opportunity to change their perception and perspective on missions and to gain new insights.
Some reflections from the Sisters:
- The missionary vocation is inherent in the Charism of our congregation. We have been reminded that our vocation is to live the missionary call to the end, beyond age, health, and work.
- There has been a change in my perception of the missions. In the past, I thought of the missions as a “going out,” but now I realize that all the baptized are called; that the proclamation of the Gospel springs from a profound encounter with the Lord and an experience of love; and that wherever I am sent with a new calling, I am sent into my mission field.
- I understood that mission is a process of letting go of my thoughts and criteria and seeking God’s will. I also understood that it is important to focus on excluded and vulnerable people and live a life of witness through my daily presence.
- I understood that the mission is a shared and communal calling, and that it begins with being evangelized myself and living the “mercy of God” before evangelizing others.
- The Holy Spirit is the Master of the mission. With the heart of Jesus, by entrusting my life to the work of the Holy Spirit rather than to my own plans, I can respond more fully to the desires of my brothers and sisters.
- The Mission is not a special activity that consists of going somewhere, but a life lived here and now. The very existence and attitude of a religious person are the proclamation of the Gospel, and mission is not a future task, but our present vocation and the purpose of our existence.
