South Korea: Seoul’s Archdiocese ordered 1,000 priests

The Archdiocese of Seoul, in South Korea, has reached “The era of the 1,000 priests” After ordering, on February 7, 26 new presbyters for the local church. Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-Taick, who presided over the ceremony, called the NeosoCrifts to carry out his ministry “with true love and constant joy.”

“The priests are called to serve the people of God as collaborators of the bishop and united with the bishop through his priestly ministry,” the archbishop recalled in His homily. He added: “Remember that they have been chosen and designated among men to perform God’s work.”

In addition, he urged them to “always take as an example the good shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and to search and save the lost sheep.” The Archdiocese of Seoul reached this milestone after 194 years of its creation.

With these 26 ordinations, the number of priests in the most important archdiocese in the Asian country, which will host the next World Youth Day in 2027, went from 974 (including a cardinal, an archbishop, three bishops and four monsors) to exactly 1,000.

In total, the Korean Church has 5,721 priests, according to the latest figures from the episcopate. In its history, the local church has ordered more than 7,000 presbyters, headed by San Andrés Kim Taegon, the first person to receive sacred orders in 1845.

At the February 7 ceremony, the second Sorda Korean priest (and the fourth in all of Asia) was also ordered. In statements for the Archdiocese of Seoul, Fr. Kim Dong-Jun said he wants to “serve the deaf culture in the manner of Jesus Christ, with sensitivity and warmth towards the weak.”

Father Kim will begin his first pastoral task as a vicepároco of the parish of Ephata, the first parish of Deaf of the Archdiocese, and chaplain of the Aehwa School of Seoul.