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By Kim Ae-ran
Can one person make a change? Sure, each of us can change society. As in the book "L'homme qui plantait des arbes" ("The Man Who Planted Trees") written in 1953 by Jean Giono (1895-1970); one person can do something different and marvelous by being inspired and led by the Holy Spirit.
In the above-mentioned short story, Elzeard Bouffier brought a deserted valley back to life by planting one hundred thousand acorn trees for three years. The author, Jean Giono, even declined to receive any royalties for his story. He just granted it for free to anyone.
Sister Gemma Hong is such a person. For over 30 years, she has devoted herself to her ongoing mission trips to North America.
In religious life, we take turns doing certain missions. The officially given terms last for about 3 years, 5 years or 10 years in general, but some missions are sustained by one person for a longer period of time, depending on the needs of the apostolate. Doing one thing for over 30 years is enough to make a person an expert in that field.
The Korean mission, with book exhibits in the United States, started in 1989 with the initiative of Sister Susanna Yu and Sister Gemma Hong. Since then, Korean Pauline Sisters have visited the United States irregularly for the purpose of diffusion and animation up to now. Junior Sisters came to the United States in 2012 and 2015 for fruitful apostolic experiences.
In 2013, Sr. Gemma was transferred from the Korean Province to the American Province. Then, the Korean mission in the United States was approved by the General Government of our congregation in Rome. Thus, the Korean mission was able to undergo constantly with the goal of letting the light of the living words of God reach out to each Korean family in the hope of giving joy, peace and consolation.
However, the mission was suspended by the outbreak of COVID-19 from 2020 to 2022. Despite all the difficult situations, Sr. Gemma didn't give up her hopeful dreams; she organized eight book clubs with the help of Zoom.
Her original intention to make book clubs was in order to express gratitude to collaborators and to give them hope, joy, peace and consolation through sincere sharing. As she consulted all those who supported Korean book exhibits while staying at their houses, they became willing to join the book clubs.
She is always happy to select 10 books to read throughout the year, and each member devours one book a month to then share their thoughts and impressions through Zoom. Book clubs appeal to people because the first generation of immigrants can read and speak the Korean language.
Approximately more than 2 million Koreans are spread out across the United States: 10 percent of them are Catholics while 61 percent are Protestants, 6 percent are Buddhists and 23 percent follow other religions.
Thanks to the hard work and efforts of the first generation of Korean immigrants, the second generations, who were born and educated well in the United States, are more adapted to the American way of thinking and culture. Therefore, Sr. Gemma does her best to give spiritual food to Korean immigrants through book exhibits.
How to approach them through the Pauline mission challenges our mission trips across the United States and Canada.
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news!" (Isaiah 52:7)
The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul. Please feel free to visit her blog "A piece of sunshine" at mtorchid88.blogspot.com.
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