FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2023
Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Roman Catholic Church located in the Flushing section of Queens this past weekend. At the conclusion of the Mass, a reception was held in the parish hall which featured traditional Korean food, dance, song, and music.
The 50th Anniversary Mass was celebrated exactly 50 years to the day of the first Korean Mass celebrated by St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Church held on April 29, 1973. The initial parish Mass was celebrated by Father Thomas Jung and attended by 37 people at Our Lady of the Angelus Church in Rego Park. In June of 1984, the current site of the Church was purchased, and the new Church building was consecrated on October 28, 1990.
“50 years ago Brooklyn and Queens, especially Flushing, saw the arrival of a growing community of immigrants from Korea, helping to shape our neighborhoods with Korean culture. They brought many blessings with them, but most importantly they brought their faith. Beginning at Our Lady of the Angelus Church, a parish community was built and eventually, this beautiful Church was built,” said Bishop Robert Brennan, in his homily, acknowledging the original members of the parish in attendance and thanking them for what they have passed on.
During the Mass, Bishop Brennan presented Papal Honors to 15 of the parishioners, and Katarina Choi presented the Bishop with the full transcription of the four Gospels in Korean. The parish prayer group presented records of their recitation of more than 509,000 decades of the Rosary, with a goal to recite one million decades of the Rosary by the end of the anniversary year.
Since its founding 50 years ago, the parish has baptized over 7,000 people and more than 1,000 marriages have been officiated at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Church. Today, over 1,500 people attend weekend Masses at the parish. Father Andrew Kim is the current Pastor of St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Roman Catholic Church.
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