St. Paul Chong Hasang Bulletin

The Garima Gospels, Ethiopia, 3rd-6th century CE

Fun Fact: Ethiopia was one of the very first countries to adopt Christianity, all the way back in the year 330! For reference, paper money was invented almost 300 years after.

Anger, Wrath, and Vengeance - Pertinent Lessons for the World of Today

Have you felt angry at someone recently? Did someone ever harm you in a way you couldn't let go? Were you treated unjustly by a foe, or perhaps a friend? Though our lives and experiences are very different, we've all felt this way at some point in our lives. What did Jesus teach about hatred and love? The first reading focuses on these difficult emotions that we hold deep within ourselves. Although we as humans cannot fully avoid these emotions, we must treat even those we hate with respect and love; Jesus did not die for us out of hatred, after all. The Psalm reminds us that even the Lord is not immune to anger; His patience, mercy, and endless compassion for His creations is what saves us in the end.

The second reading is short but sweet: a reminder that none of us were born alone, nor should we die for ourselves alone. The gospel that follows tells the story of Peter, who asks Jesus if he should forgive someone who sinned against him seven times. Jesus responds by saying he should forgive that man seventy-seven times. In this way, we learn that the answer to hatred, wrath, and all sorts of negative sinful emotions is to match it with unbounded love instead.

• First Reading: Sirach 27: 30 - 28: 7
• Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 103: 1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
• Second Reading: Romans 14: 7-9
• Alleluia: John 13: 34
  
• Gospel: Matthew 18: 21-35

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

(Acts 2:8)

Wow! It's always exciting to welcome back our students.

This year, we had many faithful catechists retire or step down from administrative roles. As mentioned in the welcome email, we'd like to express our gratitude towards these catechists for their many years of dedicated service, particularly to our sisters in Christ - Caritas Yoon and SaiEh Park, both whom served for many years in their positions.

As our most established church members start to retire and pass on their roles to the new generation, we ask that families and students extend us some patience and grace during this transitional period. This year, we have a new YM Director (Vincent Kim), CCD Director (Su Kwon), and a YM Office Manager (Shaye Park - wow, that's me!). While we are trying our best to ensure the experience goes as smoothly as possible for our families, there is much that we have yet to learn in our first week! Regardless, we will do our best to guide the program as well as support students and families to the best of our ability.

If you are not on the mailing list for the newsletter and would like to be added, please send an email to ymoffice@stpaulchong.org - that is where most administrative inquiries should go. If it involves CCD, please cc/bcc ccddirector@stpaulchong.org, and for YG inquiries, ymad_yg@stpaulchong.org.

Praying for a great start to the first day of CCD! 😊

Hello! Nice to meet you. I'm Shaye, and this is my first year as the YM Office Manager. I mentioned a little bit about myself in the email - actually, I was going to feature Peter Joo first, but Director Su thought it would be a good idea if I introduced myself first so you know who is writing the newsletters!

I thought I'd have more time to flesh out the format of this, but with how busy we all were preparing for the first day of CCD, I wasn't able to solidify it yet. So, I will share a few things about myself that might help you get to know me, in a silly Q&A format! The future interviews might not be in the same format, depending on how the catechist wants to share their story.

(If you have any suggestions for questions to ask catechists, or want to see someone featured, feel free to send an email to YMOffice.)

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Q: How old are you?

A: Twenty-four (24). I graduated high school in 2020! It was not fun, we had a drive-thru graduation. My CCD experience began when I was in kindergarten, and my SPYG days were from 2016-2020. Still a little salty that our last senior retreat got cancelled. Virtually a fossil at this point, I know🦖

Fun fact: You know that big guy who does the conducting during mass? That's Noah, he's actually a year younger than me. We grew up playing Pokemon together! He wasn't that tall back then.

Q: What brought you to St. Paul?

A: My family immigrated to the US in 2005, when I was 4 years old. At the time, I spoke Korean very well, but over time it's gotten rusty and I could definitely use some more practice! Since our aunt lived here, we moved here as well. My father was a devout Catholic for his whole life, so he joined the local Korean Catholic church, which happened to be St. Paul. Ever since then, I attended CCD and Saturday School religiously up until I went to college.

Fun fact: I'm still getting my undergraduate degree - it's in Early Childhood Education. I love working with kids, and I want to teach middle school math (+science) at CPS! Future college students: think very hard about what you want to major in!!! And consult tons of older people!!! Don't switch majors halfway if none of your credits transfer!!! 💔

Q: What are some of your hobbies?

A: Honestly, it's easier to list what I don't enjoy rather than all the things I do! Off the top of my head, some interests I've had over the years include: musical performance, reading, writing (poetry), graphic design, boxing (bad at it), powerlifting (even worse), gaming (by far the worst), Southeast Asian postcolonial history, Civil War History, sewing, baking, volunteering etc... A jack of all trades, master of none! I think I just love learning. As you can tell, I also love talking 😁 (though I love to listen too)

Fun fact: I love Pokemon, it's my lifelong favorite interest! My favorite pokemon is Azumarill. I like it because it is round and perfect, they really made the best Pokemon in 1999 and haven't made a better one since!

Q: Cats or Dogs?

A: Cats, obviously. Haha. They are like little princesses and we're all okay with that.

Fun fact: I have two cats, and they are sisters. Their names are Beatrice and Maddie. Can you guess which is which?

Q: What's one thing you really care about?

A: I think we should all in general care about each other, but right now I'm pretty focused on Korean-American identity. Sometimes, it can be hard trying to figure out where you fall between these two groups, when in reality you're just both in a way that they don't tell you when you're growing up. There is nothing wrong with being Korean but being born here, or being a recent immigrant, or being a bilingual who struggles with one language but is great at the other! That's the beautiful part about being both, there's a little piece of Korea and America somewhere in us all the time. It's just a matter of whether we nourish it like a seed, or leave it dormant. But it's always there, waiting until you feed it again. 🥰

Fun fact: I was not excellent at Korean growing up - I had what I remembered, but that was about it. It wasn't until I started practicing reading, writing, and speaking every day that I started to get more fluent. My accent got better little by little, and so did my vocabulary. It's all about effort, your effort will always speak for itself sooner or later!

Q: Least Favorite Pokemon?

A: charizard

Fun fact: There is no fun fact. This isn't funny. This is serious business. Did you know my brother and I used to own a Gold Star Charizard Pokemon card? Yeah, we brought it to church and played with it all the time. That card is genuinely $15,000 today and we lost it at a church playmate's house. I hope it's not in a landfill somewhere...............

Q: Why did you volunteer for CCD?

A: I didn't actually enjoy CCD that much when I was going through it, I'd say I was a pretty lackluster student. It felt more like a chore than somewhere where I could learn something. However, since I've gotten older and experienced more of what life actually is, I've come to deeply appreciate these experiences I had here. The catechists that I took for granted, were people who sacrificed so much of their time so that we could even learn the basics of Catholicism. And I truly do love Catholicism, even as my faith ebbs and flows, I have confidence that our God is a loving and merciful one, and that everything happens for a reason. A favorite quote I try to live by - "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?" - Hillel the Elder. Honestly, life is too short to worry so much about success and achievements. That was most of my life until college, but I got sick of it pretty quickly after that. It's the little things we don't quite appreciate in the moment that stick with us when things get tough. I did genuinely enjoy my time growing up here, even if it wasn't fun all the time. For all the days I dozed off during class, there were an equal amount of days where I played with other Korean kids who knew what it was like to be a Korean-American. For all the doubts I had, there were so many times where I felt lost, but muscle memory guided me back here. It's strange how these things work out - all those prayers that I found tedious, are encoded in my brain forever. It feels like a little part of Him lives in me, and it's a part I got from here. I'd like to help the next generation build a healthy relationship with this place, because you guys (the students) are our future! I think the future's in good hands if that's the case. 💫

Fun fact: I ran out of fun facts. CCD students, I really hope most of you decide to join SPYG once you're in high school. There isn't anything else like this!! It was truly so fun and memorable.

Registration for the 2026–27 Fall Semester at Hasang Korean School is now open!

Semester Dates: August 22 – December 19 (16 weeks)

(No classes on Labor Day and Thanksgiving)

Class Schedule: Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Early Registration Deadline: May 9

Tuition: $300 (or $320 after May 10) + $70 lunch fee
Registration: School website / Google Form via QR code

Now Hiring: School Cook

We’re looking for a caring and reliable cook to prepare healthy lunches for our students.

If you enjoy cooking and want to support children’s growth through nutritious meals, we’d love to hear from you.

For inquiries, please contact Seyoung Lee at 240.357.8406 or hasangkoreanschooledu@gmail.com

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