How many of us have ever heard of the great struggles and triumphs of the Orthodox faithful in Korea? During its 103 years, the Orthodox Church in Korea has endured multiple conflicts, occupation, enslavement and wars. Through out it all the Church has endured!
This past February the Orthodox Church in Korea celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the first Divine Liturgy celebrated in Korea. The event also marked 100 years of the Orthodox Church in Korea being blessed with a Miracle-working Icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov commissioned by the last Tsarina of Russia. The celebration held at the Cathedral in Seoul was a time for the Orthodox faithful in Korea to learn more about, and remember, the first Orthodox missionaries who brought the Orthodox faith to their nation.
The work of those early missionaries has brought much fruit and today a vibrant Orthodox Church is thriving in Korea under the guidance of His Eminence Dionysios Metropolitan of New Zealand and His Grace Soterios Bishop of Zelon. There is a full schedule of services celebrated regularly in Korean in seven churches around the country. The Cathedral in Seoul has daily services and a regular worshipping community made up of people from various cultures and ethnicities. The work of spreading the Gospel in Korea continues as new areas are being evangelized and communities are growing steadily.
Fr. Daniel Na, a Korean Orthodox priest who has been working for over 20 years to help the Orthodox Church grow is the featured speaker for this seasons OCMC Spring Lecture tour. By the efforts of Fr. Daniel Na, what was once only a family of 4 celebrating monthly liturgies with a visiting priest is now St. Paul Orthodox Church in Incheon Korea, with 136 baptized Orthodox Christians, a full schedule of services, bible studies, Sunday school and philanthropic activity. All this was accomplished under great financial strain and struggle.
Fr. Daniel will be speaking to 20 communities all over Florida with a side-trip to the St. Louis metropolitan area and a day-trip to the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. He will be sharing his personal story and talking about the great work God is doing in our sister Church in Korea. If Fr. Daniel is in your area between March 29 and April 13, 2003, we encourage you to come and learn about the strength and endurance of the Orthodox Church in Korea
For more Information and a detailed Lecture schedule of Fr. Daniels speaking engagements:
http://www.ocmc.org/involved/lecture-schedule.htm