Suwon, South Korea – The Suwon Diocese has sent its first 'Fidei Donum' priest to the Saitama Diocese in Japan. The Rev. Thomas Aquinas Lee was among four overseas missionary priests blessed at a ceremony held at the diocesan headquarters on February 7, 2025.
This marks the first time the diocese has sent a priest to Japan under the Fidei Donum agreement, which was signed by the two dioceses in June 2024. While the Suwon Diocese has previously sent priests to the Saitama Diocese under the auspices of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, this is the first time they have done so through a bilateral agreement.
Fidei Donum, meaning "the gift of faith," is the title of a 1957 encyclical by Pope Pius XII on the subject of missions. In it, he called on bishops of dioceses with a relatively large number of priests to send some of them to areas where there was a shortage.
In addition to Rev. Lee, the Suwon Diocese is also sending the following priests to overseas missions this year:
Rev. Samuel Nara Lee to St. Michael's Korean Parish in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, USA
Rev. Joseph Jae Seung Choi to the Solwezi Diocese in Zambia, Africa
Rev. John the Apostle Lee to the Rumbek Diocese in South Sudan, Africa
At the blessing ceremony, Bishop Matthias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon presented the priests with crosses and urged them to uphold the tradition of martyrdom of their ancestors and to be true witnesses of the Gospel even in difficult circumstances.
"With the heart of sending our children to distant lands," Bishop Lee said, "I pray that these four priests will bring the good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, comfort those who mourn, and reveal the love and glory of God to the world by being humble shepherds."
Also present at the ceremony were Bishop John the Baptist Moon Hee-jong, the vicar general of the diocese and chairman of the Overseas Mission Committee, as well as priests from the diocese and families of the departing missionaries. They prayed for the priests to be able to carry out their duties in difficult circumstances and to return in good health.
Bishop Moon said in his congratulatory speech, "The Suwon Diocese has one of the most systematic overseas mission programs in the Korean Church, thanks to the support of the priests, parishioners, and especially the Legion of Mary members who provide spiritual and material assistance to the missionary priests." He added, "I hope that all of you present here, including the parents, parishioners, and fellow priests, will pray for these missionary priests so that they can love and comfort the local people while they are on their missions."
Rev. Choi Jae-seung departed for Zambia on February 10, and Rev. Lee Joon-ki left for South Sudan on February 12. Rev. Lee Nara and Rev. Lee Tae-hee will be leaving for their respective missions in the United States and Japan later this year after completing their training.
The Suwon Diocese has been sending Fidei Donum missionary priests to Africa, South America, the United States, and Canada since 2008, and currently has 24 priests serving in overseas missions.
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