IMMENSE HOPE MEETING

JAPAN & KOREA

“How can we be a more effective missionary group?”  That was the key question the Oblates of Japan and Korea dialoged and prayed about during their four-day Immense Hope assembly from March 24 to March 28 held in Fukuoka, Japan.   The planning committee had invited Fr. David Ullrich, O.M.I. to assist in organizing and conducting the gathering.  Having spent eight years in Japan and being co-chair of the Immense Hope process in the U.S. Province, Fr. Ullrich happily accepted the invitation.  Part of his input at the assembly dealt with the role unexamined organizational learning disabilities can have on a missionary group and how, despite the best efforts of its holiest and hardest working members, they can keep it from fulfilling its purpose of  promoting the kingdom of God.

Though the missions of Japan and Korea are geographically close, the church and social realities are very different.  In Japan, where the Catholic population is roughly 500,000 and less than .04 % of the total population, the Oblate mission effort has largely concentrated on formation of Christian communities in parishes.  In Korea, the Catholic population is a booming 4,000,000 people, over 8% of the population, with  a large native  diocesan clergy.  There the Oblates are mainly involved in ministries with the marginalized, such as the homeless and foreign workers and have no parish base.

Oblates from both countries were together for sessions reflecting on the founding purpose of their missions and the scope of the current changes and challenges.   Each group worked separately on more specific responses for the future.  By the end of the assembly, they had reached agreement on a planning document that  gives direction to where they will place their efforts and energy over the next five years.

The Japanese group went a step further arranging for a representative group to stay on for three additional days after the assembly to work on proposals for implementation of the direction set by the assembly.  This is the initial version of the strategy document, which the provincial council will finalize in the near future.