Bas-reliefs of Korean images of Mary dedicated at national shrine

Published: 2007-09-26

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The words "Pyung-hwa-ga Yoroboon-gwa hahm-ke" ("Peace be with you") greeted Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl as he welcomed Korean Catholics from Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Philadelphia, New York and beyond to a special Mass Sept. 22. Commemorating 100 years of their ancestors' migration, Korean-American Catholic pilgrims filled the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Sept. 22 dedication of two bas-reliefs that symbolize the permanence of their place in the Catholic Church. Cardinal Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, South Korea, joined Archbishop Wuerl, Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington Va., and Msgr. Walter Rossi, basilica rector, along with nearly 50 priest concelebrants for the afternoon Mass. "It is significant that the Korean immigrants have endeavored to dedicate these art pieces here in this most American church," said Cardinal Cheong. "I understand this as a sign of the fact that Korean-Americans are no longer outsiders but have become active members of the American Catholic Church."

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