A bit of history, I think that we had our first Antioch on 1987; therefore, our youth program would go even before. For all those time English speaking priests have had served like Msgr. Fuhrmna, Cruz, Fr. Rice and more. We might have stopped the continuity only after Fr. Oh arrived at SAK around 1999, and he had celebrated short period of time. So we had over 20 years of program of so called perfect English with American priests. I questioned now, so what have happened?


In the parish lives of SAK the young people had been totally isolated and nurtured in own independent way since we have believed that they should worship and pray only in English and all rest of them in Korean. Now let’s say that they are grown up to adulthood and go to worship in local American parishes. Unfortunately they would not feel comfortable or belong to that white dominant majority parishes so they become marginalized, lost interest, and might stop go to Church. Of course, there are always some strong and persistent people who would find their place wherever they are. This is my observation in many American parishes in Bergen County that very few Asians or even Koreans practice their faith there. Even though their English is perfect and they only know English and no other language at all.


So let’s say that they find SAK and come back to worship again. See what have happened? We had only English Youth Mass which they found it too young for them and we had Sunday School Mass which they had found absolutely not for them unless they become parents of Elementary Ages. So there is no place to go for Young Adults except some youth or Sunday School Counselors who fortunately found their places in SAK. So they become generation of X and it is really sad to see them wandering around American and Korean parishes and feel nowhere to belong. Thus SAK attempted to have English Young Adult Mass with Fr. Bob and we had tried almost a good one year, if my memory serves me right. There had not enough interest and we had failed. SAK tried again in 2008 with Fr. Anthony for another one year and eventually stopped due to not enough interest.


I realized couple of things from those attempts. First, Mass cannot be understood by only aspect of language that bring perfect English speaking priest and that will do the trick to bring all young adults back to SAK. For SAK and given situation it will be whole combination of many aspects to bring our Young Adults back to SAK. It has to have good music, good fellowships, good liturgies, and warm celebration of mass and sermon which are pertinent to Korean Young Adults, but more than anything else good, confident, and positive self image as Korean Americans. Building that and reaching that goal is not easy and would not be done overnight as we can see from two attempts. Secondly, I have started to see problems of past approach which separate young people from the rest of the parish lives and block all contact to Korean language and gave somehow pejorative or inferior impression on Korean language or even identity.


In my understanding new approach for our Young people cannot be either English only or Korean only; but both in creative and genuine way. They should learn to grow comfortable for both and create even more and better in their own ways. So the second reading in Korean is just simple symbolical way for all our young people to hear Word of God in Korean, however, it will go long way to build up their self esteem and self confidence as Korean Americans. When time is right I am willing to give a third try for English Young Adult Mass. We will all know when the time is right because we can just see and feel that around us in SAK.


So what we did was bring everybody together to one Family Mass 10:00 Mass. In the beginning Youth Group wanted to go back to their own small and cozy mass and Sunday school thought that the Mass and homily is too difficult for children and missed their own Mass. The older people who come to 10:00 Mass because of the convenience of time said, they understand very little from sermons especially from American priests. Ironically Konglish is easy and better for them. Now we have a mixed bag. I see this mixed bag has a lot of potential and beneficial for all generations attending in 10:00 Mass.
In 10:00 Mass the children will grow up celebrating Mass with older generations, and Youth would feel comfortable with the whole family of SAK. When they have grown up and come back they would feel at home and feel right in SAK, not any more foreign or strange like older predecessors of Young Adults.


This does not mean that we will neglect to provide good understandable homily and pastoral sensitivity toward everybody especially only English Speaking parishioners. Clearly I admit the poor coordination, and I admit that we should do a better job. Self reflection is a part of all Faithfull’s foremost duty, so I am willing to admit, reflect and engage the conversation for betterment of our ministry and SAK.


For local people who attend 10:00 Mass the deacon already many times asked them for their concerns, how we can improve their coming since we want to engage with them; their response is that they only come when they are late or missed their own parish Mass. In Orange we did have fixed Mass schedule for decades with American priests, however, we never exceed more than 20 people who come to Mass in Orange. They are the same older generation left from St. Venantius which we took over in 1982. From our own two attempts we have learned how hard is to bring our Young Adults back and that is the same to local Catholics.

In 2006 when we moved here in Maplewood first time the former pastor Fr. Frank wanted us not celebrate English Mass for six months to bring all his parishioners to Good Shepherd. I do not mean to sound like an excuse but the powerful mission I understand is building positive and confident parish and that will spill over to neighbors.