Religion 18/02/05 Priest to offer pastoral support to Olympic athletes - South Korean church keen to get involved and spread Catholic message at huge Pyeongcha

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Priest to offer pastoral support to Olympic athletes

South Korean church keen to get involved and spread Catholic message at huge Pyeongchang sporting festival

Chuncheon Diocese is using leaflets to spread the word at the Winter Olympics. (Photo supplied)

ucanews.com reporter, Seoul
South Korea

February 5, 2018

The Catholic Church in South Korea is preparing pastoral support for athletes at the upcoming 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.

Seoul Archdiocese is sending a priest to the huge sporting event. Father Francis Lim Eui-june, director of the department for the pastoral ministry in the workplace, will stay at the Olympic village during the games and Paralympics.

Meanwhile, Chuncheon Diocese, which covers Olympic venues Pyeongchang and Gangneung, is also getting involved in the event.

The diocese will distribute leaflets in English and Korean in parishes near Olympic venues with information including maps of sports venues and details of where people can attend Mass.

In addition, the diocese will hand out leaflets in eight languages about the Catholic Church in Korea prepared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. 

Bishop Lucas Kim Un-hoe of Chuncheon has urged his faithful to participate in the sports festival since 2014 when Pyeongchang was selected as the Winter Olympics venue.

In 2016, the diocese began a prayer movement for a successful Olympics, while a universal prayer during Sunday Mass asks God to lead the Olympics “as a big festival implementing beautiful sports spirit and bringing peace in the world.”

The Winter Olympics will be held from Feb. 9-25 and the Paralympics from March 9-18.

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