Eucharist in the Busan Cathedral

A day of rest and praise

The Catholic delegation joined with the local church at the Cathedral of St. Kim for the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist.  I saw some other delegates from the WCC present including the wife of the Secretary General, Mrs Tveit.

Two of the stewarts at the Assembly

The cathedral is very modern and beautiful in its simplicity.  A lot of natural light streaming in through beautiful stained glass floods the body of the church with a warmth and welcoming atmosphere.

  The doors to the cathedral has an etched scene of the mountains with Christ the Good Shepherd and his sheep.

The interior is made of simple stone and the wood furnishings add a warmth to the worship space.  Just as in Seoul, the Cathedral was packed and the people were  very active in their participation.  The Cathedral choir led the congregation in hymns and the liturgical parts of the mass.

Archbishop Kim presided with the Bishop members of the delegation while the presbyters concelebrated.
In his Archbishop Kim’s homily, he said that “the ecumenical movement is not a choice, but a supreme order of our Lord to be carried out”.  In addition it is not a matter of human intimacy between Protestants and Catholics but rather a faithfulness to the teaching of the Gospel and to the Spirit in concrete action together.

Following the service all the delegates from WCC who attended were invited to a lunch offered by Archbishop Paul who was unable to be with us because of confirmation. The President of the parish council was present to greet us as well as the pastor of the cathedral parish, Fr. Lee.

Fr. Lee, Pastor of the Cathedral

The rest of the afternoon was quiet.

In the evening we were invited to join the Benedictine sisters for sung vespers in their chapel. The day ended with a simple evening meal prepared by the sisters.  So the day was restful as we recuperated our forces for Monday’s work at the Assembly.


Peace and all good!