The Claretians first arrived in South Korea in 1982, beginning with the mission in Seoul. Initially our work was focused on parish ministry, hospital chaplaincy, religious community support, and promoting vocations, especially among workers and peasants in growing Christian communities.

1.  Brief History of Claretian Presence in South Korea

– 1982: Two Claretian missionaries from the Philippines arrived in Seoul. They were initially welcomed by the Maryknoll Fathers and later stayed with the Franciscans near a school.

– 1983: The Claretians established an independent residence in Seoul.

– 1985: Formation of the East Asian Delegation together with Japan, marking a regional organizational structure. The first Claretian community in Korea comprises of missionaries from Spain, India, Poland and Philippines.

– 1987: Acceptance of the responsibility for a parish in the Diocese of Incheon, serving about 1,000 Christians, mostly peasants and workers. And some of the Claretian Fathers started working in Children homes, Center for Tuberculosis patients, organizing and spiritually helping merchants and venders scattered in Namdemun (South gate) market.

2. Mission of the Claretian Missionaries in Korea

Our mission in South Korea reflects the charism of our Congregation, evangelization and service, adapted to local needs:

– Parish Ministry: Serving local Catholic communities, especially in rural and working-class areas.

– Hospital Chaplaincy: Providing spiritual care to patients and staff in medical institutions.

– Support for Religious Communities: Assisting other Congregations and fostering collaboration.

– Vocation Promotion: Encouraging young Koreans to consider religious life and missionary service.

– Social Outreach: Addressing the needs of marginalized groups (youth, old, migrants etc.), embodying founder St. Anthony Mary Claret’s vision of being “missionaries on fire with God’s love.”

3. Context and Impact

– The Claretians arrived during a period of rapid growth in the Korean Catholic Church, especially after the visit of Pope John Paul II and the canonization of 103 Korean martyres, which provided fertile ground for their mission.

– Our presence strengthened ties between Asian Catholic communities, especially through collaboration with Japan in the East Asian Delegation. And eventually starting a mission in Harbin and helping the Christian community in the Eastern region of the mainland China.

– By focusing on workers, youth and peasants, we aligned our mission with the Church’s broader commitment to social justice and pastoral care in Korea. Later in the beginning of this century, migrant workers started flowing to Korea. Our missionaries started focusing on a new apostolate called Migrant ministry in different parts of Korea in line with the Congregational option for the poor and the marginalized. Eventually our brothers started focusing on the youth. We run restaurants for them in the city called “Youth Mungan”. It has affordable price and is supported by lay volunteers.