U.S.Oilve

  • Who we are : Olivetan Benedictine Sisters of Busan, Inc
  • Purpose : Olivetan Benedictine Sister of Busan, Inc. offers the sisters to minister in California area to provide care to those in need.
  • Activities :
    • 1. Supporting the missionary in Pau d'Arco, Brazil where our Olivetan sisters settled [VIEW]

      In 2011, celebrating the 80th anniversary of our establishment in Korea, we decided to send missionaries abroad where we are needed the most. The decision was made in the same spirit as the Swiss sisters made in Cham 80 years ago in 1931 when they decided to respond to the need of the time. On June 16, 2010, we sent three of our sisters to the other side of the world as missionaries. In January 2011, they entered Pau d'Arco, in the Diocese de Santissima Conceição do Araguaia, located in the southeast of Pará, Brazil.

      Brazil is a Catholic country, but it is difficult in the underprivileged part of North Brazil to carry on their faith because the number of clergies is scarce. The Diocese of Conceição do Araguaia has jurisdiction over 52.000 km?? of land, which is about half the size of the entire South Korea. The diocese has more than 250,000 Catholics out of the population of 350,000 people. Within the diocese, very few diocesan priests (15 as of 2021) and missionaries from European countries are working hard, being at the side of the poor, but the Church is experiencing a shortage of hand.

      Pau d'Arco, the town where our sisters settled, is located 2,200 kilometers north of Sao Paulo and 25 kilometers from the nearby city, Redenção. It is a small city of migrant farmers and workers, mainly cattle and honey producers. It is difficult for them to escape from poverty because the dry season exceeds 40 degrees Celsius every day and the wet season that rains all six months makes it difficult for them to cultivate the land. Among the 6,000 villagers, the proportion of children and teenagers is high, and girls are already single mothers at the age of 12-15 raising their babies. Young single mothers usually live independently of their children's fathers, and the opportunity for them to learn about their children's education is scarce. The bishop, pitiful for the situation, invited our sisters to join him in a diocesan project called "Mother's Dream" to take care of single mothers and babies.

      Pau d'Arco

      In December 2011, we completed building ''Nazareth House'', a place for the "Mother's Dream" program for young women. The program is for the girls who came mothers too early in their age, raising children without having a chance to have basic education and church teachings. The program is also for their babies and children who are born and raised in poor conditions. The donations from benefactors are being spent on "Mother's Dream" to educate single moms and care for their babies and to run various programs for local children and teenagers. It is also allocated to support the poor neighbors in the area.

      For several years, the construction of the church in Pau d'Arco was suspended due to the lack of fundings. But after the missionary sisters arrived, it was possible to continue building the church with the help from the sisters in Korea and the benefactors. The church was consecrated on September 8, 2012, and the sisters carry on with their ministry connecting with the members of the Church to help people in the area to carry out their faith. In February 2021, after the diocese dispatched a priest to Pau d'Arco, where there were no priests, the ministry became more active than ever before.

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    • 2. Religious ministry and activities for Korean American
      Altar Preparation for Mass, Liturgy
      * Assist a Priest in the preparation of sacraments
      * Educating the candidates of the Baptism, Confirmation and the First Communion Children
      * Offering condolence & Support a liturgy of funeral
      * Supervise for religious groups : Legio Marie, Liturgy Volunteerers and lectors
    • 3. Volunteering for Homeless Shelters: Providing Meals & Supplies
  • Council members :
    * President : Sun Ei Kim (Sr. Hilda)
    * Secretary : Hyun Joo Son(Sr. Electa)
  • Contact : 1435 Lomita Blvd. # 202
    Horbor City, CA 90710
    tel) 310-218-8282
  • Website Info.: Korean American Parishes
    * 103 saint`s Korean catholic Center
    * St. Francis Korean catholic Center
J.S.Olive