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Arrival
On a cold February morning in
1955 the first group of Columban Sisters arrived in Mokpo, South Korea. It
included Sister Mary Enda Staunton, a newly qualified doctor, Sister Martha Keenan,
an experienced ward sister, Sister Dorothy
Pirkl from the U.S., a surgical nurse and Sister Rosarii McTigue who was
the general manager. The temperature was minus 20 degrees F. Their bags
and supplies
got lost in transit, only Sister Martha¹s arriving.. Sister Martha had to share whatever woollens she had with her companions.
They had a thousand pounds, and a mandate to start a hospital for the sick
poor that were everywhere to be seen.
Post-War Korea
The war between the Communist North and the South had just ended
leaving a devastated and partitioned country. Thousands of North Koreans
had fled in terror to the South, carrying their few possessions on their
backs. This
exodus added to the enormous refugee problem. The diocese was staffed
entirely by Columban priests. Seven of their men along with some of their
parishioners lost their lives in that war. Acutely aware of the plight of
the sick poor, Columban Bishop Henry gave the Sisters his house to set up
a small hospital.
Beginnings
Sister. Martha remembers the queues of patients snaking down the hill
every day. They came at two o'clock in the morning to secure a place. “We
were young then", she says, "and there were not enough hours in the day
for all we had to do. I used a pressure cooker to sterilise dressings and
instruments. In the winter we had children with post measles pneumonia,
dreadful malnutrition, and every kind of tuberculosis including a lot of
TB meningitis. Summertime brought large numbers with typhoid and
dysentery. The severely limited water supply was polluted. The Lord
sustained us through it all; people at home supported us and prayed for
us. Patients responded marvellously well to the antibiotics that came from
the US Army bases that were closing. Sister Mary Enda's diagnostic skills
meant we had longer queues each day!”
Twice a
month two Sisters visited the leper colony ten miles away. It was a sad
place but they were impressed by the courage of the suffering people,
outcasts of the society.
Expansion in the North
In August, Sister M David Mannion, a gynaecologist, and Sister
Philomena O¹Sullivan, a nurse, arrived to start a clinic in Bishop
Quinlan¹s diocese of Chunchon. Sister Philomena is lovingly remembered in
that city for her care of sick children. The Korean culture was
patriarchal and Confucian. Women were treated as second-class citizens.
Inability to bear a son meant that the wife was sent away from the
marital home, often with no place to go to. A new wife was taken in for
the purpose of having a son. Sadly the mother in law was part of this
cruel scene. Sister David did much to help these women bear children. Some
of her patients believed she could procure a male child for them as well!
Chunchon
diocese bordered the partition line at Hwachun. A terrible fear of North
Korea still lurked in the hearts of the people. Sister Mary McHugh
remembers a poor widow who lived in a hillside shack: “The widow had
three children, the youngest one seriously ill with pneumonia; she could
do nothing for him. A young Communist doctor crossed the line every night
after dark to treat the little boy who recovered well. The doctor warned
her not to tell anyone. But she trusted me; I was immunising
all the children in that area at the time. I thought of the presence of
God across the line too.”
As the
years rolled by, more sisters arrived. The hospital became over-crowded so
Sister M Clare Farren built a new one, modern in those days, and a nursing
school. It was really a dream come true.
Weaving on Cheju
Sister Rosarii spearheaded her second mission on Cheju Island where
she developed a weaving industry modeled on the Foxford woolen mills.
Sisters Brid Kenny and Elizabeth Taaffe were partners in this undertaking
which brought a lot of employment to the area. Sister Enda says: “We
could never have accomplished so much without the help of our Korean
co-workers. They welcomed us, taught us the language and culture and
laboured side by side with us.”
Credible Witnesses
The Sisters were credible witnesses to the gospel, more by their care
and concern for the people, than by their teaching. "The message is
simple," the late Sister Zita O¹Loughlin said, "I tell them of God¹s
unconditional love for
every human being; who but a mother can love without conditions? And I
tell them about Jesus and his limitless forgiveness."
Military Dictatorship
In 1961 a military coup toppled an unstable government. A suffocating
blanket of authoritarianism covered every aspect of Korean life, including
the Church. Cardinal Kim spoke out fearlessly against the brutalisation of
the people. Everybody, including non -believers greatly admired his
courage. Bishop Tji, a native of North Korea, also condemned the
dehumanisation of the people. He was arrested and spent two years in jail.
The Catholic Church, including the missionaries played a leading role in
the struggle for human rights and democracy. Democracy is firmly rooted in
South Korea today.
New
Developments
Today the Columban Sisters are meeting the changing needs of society.
Sister. Miriam Cousins has just received a prestigious award from the
government for her care of HIV and AIDs patients. Sister Gerardine Ryan
developed a wonderful
programme for children with special needs. By championing their rights she
brought peace and happiness to many. Sisters Nora Wiseman and Cecily
McMahon run a Hospice care facility, again a new concept in Korea.
Sister
Teresa O Connell works on Justice issues, especially for women and the
marginalised. Sister Margaret Moran teaches English to young people. A
Columban formation programme for young Korean aspirants is directed by
Sister Angela Suh. Today a number of Korean Columban Sisters are on
mission overseas.
Today¹s
Sisters understand well the belief context into which they bring the
gospel message. Realising the inherent values of Confucianism, Buddhism,
and indeed Shamanism, they see dialogue and inculturation of the message
as a vital part of mission work. During the celebration of the Jubilee of
the Korean Mission, Sisters Kathleen McHugh and Mary Nugent are also
celebrating fifty years of their Religious commitment. Most of this time
was spent in Korea in various ministries.
We do not
know what the next fifty years will bring. Our fervent prayer is that the
two Koreas will one day be united in harmony. What we do know is that God
will be our companion on the journey into the future even as he has
been over the last 50 years. |
