St. Paul Chong Hasang Bulletin

Quick English- language reading about why today is important to Korean Catholics

Today is a solemn day for the Korean Catholic community - the feast day of not just our church's patron Saints, but also of the companions that were martyred alongside them for proclaiming the word of the Lord.

As we take time to acknowledge the faith of these saints, who gave up their lives out of the love of Christ, let us also be grateful in that we can now worship freely in our country without persecution. The readings this week are primarily about the martyrs, and how we must regard their actions and belief. Death is not the end of Christ's love - it is the purest manifestation of it, and the martyrs have been granted eternal life.

• First Reading: Wisdom 3:1-9 - Death is not the end for the faithful. The souls of the just are at peace, and though they were punished and suffered before men, God has seen their faith and blessed them with immortal life.
• Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126 (125)
• Second Reading: Romans 8:31-39 - Since God handed over his only Son for us, our bond with Him is unbreakable. Though Christ died for our sins, it was not an abandonment that he died; rather, in his resurrection, it was the greatest act of love and commitment. Nothing in life or death can separate us from Christ's eternal love.
• Gospel Acclamation: 1 Peter 4:14
• Gospel: Luke 9:23-26 - Whoever tries to save his life loses it, whoever loses it for Christ's sake saves it. If living your mortal life causes you to be ashamed of God, God shall in turn be ashamed of you on the day of judgement.
• Communion Antiphon: Matthew 10:32

Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

(Acts 2:8)

Great job to our catechists, students, and families for an amazing 1st day of CCD!!

This week's bulletin will be quite brief, as there isn't much news yet. Due to the solemnity of our Feast Day, it seems appropriate to reflect deeply on the readings and of the significance that our church remains here today, free to practice our faith.

Our church's 30th anniversary is rapidly approaching! 2026 will mark 30 years since this building, St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Mission, opened for the first time. As we approach the anniversary, we ask students to pray, reflect, and exercise their curiosity about the church. Though this building is only 30 years old, the congregation and community have a much longer history - without them, St. Paul would not be a thing, CCD would not be a thing, we would not have this wonderful Korean-American community in the suburbs to come to to worship.

CCD News - We have found a permanent 5th grade catechist! Instead of being the substitute, Shaye Park (myself) has been certified to be the 5th grade catechist for the 2026-2027 school year.

Did you know that we actually have a 25th Anniversary Book?!

Well, not 25th in the traditional sense... as it tracks the congregation, not St. Paul Catholic Mission in Des Plaines! Though our church was founded in 1996, it grew out of a longtime Korean-American Catholic community that lists its founding date as 1984! This means this book was published in 2009, when our priest was Father Cha Ho-Chan Simeon!!

It covers almost 250 pages of church events, documented with pictures that offer a great insight into what church looked like during that time. Though most of the book is in Korean, there are English-focused sections that offer a picture of SPYG almost 20 years ago. Our current SPYG seniors would have been no older than 1 or 2 at the time this book was published. Amazing!

There isn't much to share in this book yet without proper scans, though this is a great historical artifact that shows just how much our community wanted to preserve our history and our traditions.

If you are a current CCD or YG student who doesn't know much about our church, I would encourage you to ask questions, do independent research, and reflect on your own journey to this place today. What brought your family here? What makes St. Paul special for you?

For our youngest members, a simple book outlining our patron saint's history can be found next to the newsletter table by the main office.

To keep things running smoothly during Mass, please try to sit toward the inside of the pews. This will make it easier for latecomers to find their seats. We really appreciate your help!

Sorry, much of this is still a work in progress!

We may have more updates once we've settled into our roles somewhat.

In the meantime, please feel free to check out the Korean-Language Bulletin for the latest updates.

Peace and love be with you always! 💙

- Shaye