LETTER FROM GONG-JU
Jesus Caritas Asian Assembly October 11-18, 2019 in South Korea
Eighteen priests from eight countries travelled to Seoul to participate in the 6th Fraternity Jesus Caritas Asian Assembly from October 11th -18th, 2019. Leaving Incheon International Airport, the arriving brothers were heartfully welcomed by Koran hosts. Immediately they were taken to four parishes in Daejeon Diocese to experience a usual parish weekend in Mokcheon Parish with Fr. Philip Yoon Young Jung, in Seosan Dong Mun Dong Parish with Fr. Paul Lee Peombai, in Ungcheon Parish with Fr. Cornelius Jeong Youn Sick and in Hansan Parish with Fr. Peter Hwang in Ki. From the very beginning the priests from abroad were impressed by the warm hospitality of their host priests and parishioners as well as by the deeply committed faith of the Catholic community.
Read the entire document (PDF): ASIAN ASSEMBLY KOREA – Letter from Gong-Ju final
Fr. Dr. Klaus Beurle
The German diocesan priest Fr. Klaus Beurle, belonging to the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart previously under Cardinal Walter Kasper was born 15.04.1940 in Ludwigsburg, made his theological studies in Tübingen and Würzburg and was ordained on 17.07.1965.
He joint already in 1963 as seminarian the Fraternity Jesus Caritas, a spiritual association of diocesan priests, inspired by the life witness and spiritual pilgrimage of Blessed Charles de Foucauld (beatification in 2012 in Rome).
After serving as assistant parish priest in Rottweil and Stuttgart (1965-1972) he got permission of his Diocesan Bishop to live with the Ecumenical Taizé-Community from 1972 on until he volunteered for pastoral work in a poor country. As diocesan missionary priest (Donum Fidei Priest) he served in Bangladesh from 1975 until 2000 under +Archbishop Michael Rozario in the Archdiocese Dhaka. In 25 years he gave priority to motivate and train poor people towards integral human and social development while building up with simple structures four NGOS (Non-governmental organizations for people´s development) such as Dipshikha, Tarango, Bangla-German Sampreeti and Anando to ensure self-management and continuity of motivational inputs. Complementary he is deeply committed to interreligious dialogue as a joint pilgrimage with Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.
Fr. Klaus´ third commitment besides rural development and interreligious dialogue was/is to priestly fraternity which means to encourage diocesan priests mutually to share life with one another and, inspired by Bro. Charles de Foucauld and his life witness to lead a contemplative life with enough time for adoration, walking in the desert and opening up oneself towards the poor and towards Muslims or people of other faith. Monthly meetings in local small groups called fraternities is the backbone of the overall Fraternity Jesus Caritas which started among diocesan priests of France and Germany and is now spread all over the world in tiny, sometimes tiny fraternities. The name of the association of diocesan priests JESUS CARITAS refers to Bro. Charles experience, after his conversion, that Jesus Love is all and everything. In 2010 Fr. Klaus completed his thesis at the Goethe-University Frankfurt on “Der Mensch des Herzens” (The man of the heart) pondering on and exploring songs and poems of the Bengali folk mystic Lalon Shah.
Fr. Klaus served 20 years as Secretary of Jesus Caritas Asia. In October 2019 he was invited to offer his service as Moderator at the Asian Assembly in Korea.