By Gee-Gee O. Torres

It’s been two years since I visited our Filipino missionaries in Korea.  But how could I forget Fr. Willy Jesena, CSsR and the long walk we had going to their Formation House?  After he said Mass for the Filipino Community, he invited Rheena, one of our Filipino Columban lay missionaries, and me to go and see their house.  We were delighted with the invitation.  We took the subway and then the bus.  When we got off the bus, we began walking.  While walking along the narrow streets, I kept asking Fr. Willy what’s this and that.  And unfortunately the colorful rice cakes caught my attention.  Fr. Willy didn’t have any choice but to buy me some to satisfy my curiosity.

Fr Willy and brothers

Long walk

Rheena and I didn’t realize it was going to be a long uphill walk.  (Korea is 70% mountainous).  Fr. Willy was so relaxed walking and chatting away while we were busy catching our breath.  Wow, at 62 Fr. Willy walks this way every day! When we finally reached their house, we sat on the floor Korean style – cross-legged.  Then we set the colorful rice cakes on the low table and with a cold drink we enjoyed eating our merienda.

The Pioneers

Fr. Willy Jesena, from Iloilo, is one of the pioneers of the Redemptorist Fathers in Korea.  He came toKorea in 1991 with two other confreres from Brazil and Thailand.  The coming of the Redemptorists in Korea all began during their General Chapter Meeting in 1985 when their major superior inBangkok shared with them his dream that the Redemptorists would someday go to Korea.  This dream became a reality when they were invited in the Archdiocese of Seoul by Bishop Peter Kang, the then Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul.  He invited them to come and share their charism with the local church by giving “spiritual direction” (religious instruction and moral guidance) to their lay people, many of whom were new converts to the faith.  By 1991 August 1st, feast of St. Alphonsus, the Congregation was inaugurated in Korea.

Your will be done

When Fr. Willy learned that they were going to open a new mission in Korea, he volunteered to go.  “There was this deep call to share the Gospel to others.” He was chosen among the five final candidates.  However Fr. Willy didn’t keep his hopes high, though he was very eager to go.  One of the criteria was age; it shouldn’t be over 45 years. He was the oldest among the applicants – 53. The other finalists were seminarians whom he used to teach.  He surrendered his fate to God and said, “Lord, your will be done.”  He was chosen.

Challenges along the way

“It wasn’t easy when I came in 1991,” said Fr. Willy.  “I read articles about Korea before I left for the mission, but that wasn’t enough.  When I came it was really different.  To begin with, the weather.  I needed four seasons of clothes – summer, autumn, winter and spring.  Next learning the Korean language, hangul, at an age when my memory retention is not that good anymore.  When I said my first Korean Mass we had a good laugh because I made so many mistakes.”

These were just a few of the difficulties Fr. Willy encountered.  But despite this he finds his work inKorea fulfilling. In their ten years in Korea they have been blessed with many local vocations.  They have had at least seven ordinations and still counting.  Fr. Willy says it’s most satisfying to see their Korean members now taking the lead in their formation programs.  Had Fr. Willy not pursued his desire to go to Korea because of his age he wouldn’t be here today to see how great the harvest is.