DAEJON (UCAN): Emiliano Pajardo’s first visit to South Korea in 2003 changed his life forever, according to an article published in the Catholic Times on September 19.
The 47-year-old from the Philippines came to the country to work as a technical trainee and found a rising number of Filipino migrants present in the country.
He then moved back to the Philippines, studied migration theology at the Ateneo de Manila University before returning to Korea in 2008 to work as a lay missionary for the Filipino migrant community.
Pajardo offers spiritual and pastoral services to hundreds of Filipinos under the auspices of Moyse Cheonan, a pastoral ministry of the Diocese of Daejeon in central South Korea.
The ministry touches the lives of migrant communities from various countries including the Philippines, Vietnam and Timor-Leste. In addition, the services also reach out to migrants from Kenya, the United States and Mongolia. The communities can attend weekday and Sunday Masses in their local languages as well as in English.
Each week Pajardo visits Filipino communities in Cheonan, Hongseong, Seosan, Dangjin and Sinhapdeok to help priests arrange Masses and other services for them.
“In the past, it was all about offering Masses in English, mainly in urban areas such as Daejeon and Cheonan. Since 2017, we have been visiting each region and offering Mass in Tagalog,” Pajardo told the Catholic Times.
Each week, two Filipino missionary priests from the Missionary Society of St. Columban and the Society of the Divine Word visit five Filipino migrant communities in Daejeon to celebrate Mass and offer counselling on a range of issues including family life and labour, administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation and arrange for medical care as necessary.
‘During the Mass at Hongseong Cathedral last week, a Filipino woman was crying the whole time. I consulted through the president who leads the community, and listened to her painful and difficult stories and comforted her. In fact, it is often difficult for migrants in Korea to talk openly’
Emiliano Pajardo
Pajardo says foreign migrant workers often need support as they don’t openly speak up about their problems.
“During the Mass at Hongseong Cathedral last week, a Filipino woman was crying the whole time. I consulted through the president who leads the community, and listened to her painful and difficult stories and comforted her. In fact, it is often difficult for migrants in Korea to talk openly,” he recalled.
As Korean priests can only minister to migrants in Korean or English, Moyse Cheonan has assigned missionary priests who can communicate in native languages and reach out to migrants to help them face life’s challenges.
Father Park Chan-in, in charge of Moyse Cheonan since 2017, said he has paid renewed attention to the needs of migrants and prioritised communicating in their own language.
Father Park said that Moyse Cheonan has also signed agreements with religious congregations in the Philippines, Vietnam and Timor-Leste on behalf of the diocese to offer loving support for migrants. The ministry runs with active cooperation from seven priests—two Koreans, two Filipinos, two Vietnamese and one Timorese priest. Five nuns—two Koreans, two Vietnamese and one from Myanmar—also play vital roles in helping migrants.
Strict Covid-19 restrictions have dealt a blow to the pastoral ministry as regular liturgy, gatherings and social events were halted. However, services have gradually resumed with a small number of participants in recent weeks.
Social services for migrants cover both believers and non-believers, seeking to support multicultural families and children, labour, medical care, education, interpretation and translation services, and other emergency support.
Vietnamese Sister Asumpta from the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Mirinae, who has been serving Vietnamese migrants, said the pandemic has caused problems.
“I can only meet the faithful for a short time during Sunday Mass, so it is difficult to listen to their stories and help them,” she told the Catholic Times.
Sister Nguyen Thi Yen Ni, who is in charge of support services for the Vietnamese migrant community, expressed similar concerns, saying, “It is difficult to meet believers due to Covid-19, so I mainly contact them by phone.”
Father Park Chan-in noted that the pandemic shows that the Church needs a new approach and paradigm shift in the pastoral care of migrants but added that the visiting pastoral ministry is required to develop relationships between pastors and faithful as well as the welfare of communities.
Father Park said that Moyse Cheonan has reorganised its services and activities in three major areas covering liturgy and sacramental life including Sunday Mass, community and social activities centred on sharing and fellowship, and religious activities to promote spiritual maturity.
Social services for migrants cover both believers and non-believers, seeking to support multicultural families and children, labour, medical care, education, interpretation and translation services, and other emergency support.
The name Moyse Cheonan resonates the life and works of Moses, who led the Israelites from their exile in Egypt to the Promised Land. It was started in August 2003 after the Diocese of Daejeon established the Pastoral Bureau for Migrant Workers and Foreign Ministry Centre [Daejon Moyse] in January and March of that year.
The Korean Church regards ministry to migrants as a pastoral priority as the country has many foreign migrant workers.
South Korea had about 2.5 million foreign migrant workers in 2019 out of a population of more than 51 million, according to government data. About 56 per cent of South Koreans have no religion, 20 per cent are Protestant, eight per cent are Catholic and 15.5 percent are Buddhist.
