by Joseph Yun Li-sun

On 15 January, Bishop Lazarus You Heung-sik will preside over the ordination of new priests in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio to Korea. "We thank the Lord for these fruits because our Church needs new forces in view of the many challenges we face every day."

Daejeon (AsiaNews) - The Catholic community in Daejeon will celebrate the ordination of 14 new priests on 15 January with a solemn Mass presided by their bishop in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio in South Korea. "We must thank the Lord for these fruits," Mgr Lazarus You Heung-sik told AsiaNews, "because our Church needs young forces in view of the many challenges we face every day."

The bishop is currently leading a spiritual retreat for the future priests that will end Sunday morning. "I talked to them about how to be a good priest. I explained to them that it is not easy, that temptations and problems are many. I ended by saying that their real strength is Jesus and His Gospel. By relying on them, one can get so many good things. "

After the ordinations, the bishop will proceed to their assignments. "They will go to diocesan parishes, but some of them have already expressed their intention to become missionaries ad gentes. I am very happy with this choice, but I told them that before going on mission they have to prepare themselves from a spiritual and a technical standpoint. They have to study their country of destination, its language and customs."

The Diocese of Daejeon currently has about 343 priests, including 16 non-South Koreans, who are mostly in Mongolia, Japan and Taiwan, or in Latin America: Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia.

In August, Mgr Lazarus You will host Asian Youth Day. For him, "It will be a beautiful moment for our Church: Many young people from across the continent gathered to pray together to the Lord. And I am happy that there will be many young new priests along with them."

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• korea
• daejeon
• ordinations
• lazarus
• you
• heung-sik