Father Antonio Seok Jin-wook[second from right] and parishioners. Photo: Father Antonio Seok Jin-wook
“Arai” means “thank you” in the language of the Ami tribe, the largest indigenous tribe in Taiwan, and “Xinpu” means priest. Since the majority of our parishioners are ethnic Ami, the first Mass on Sundays is celebrated in the Ami language, and the second Mass is celebrated in Chinese. When greeting each other after Mass, believers say “Siecie shenpu” (Thank you, Father) in Chinese or “Arai xinpu” in the indigenous language. At that time, when I answered, “Arai hanita ko wama! (Let’s give thanks to God!),” the believers would laugh out loud and say, “Thank you both to God and the priest. ”
The first concern I had when taking charge of an indigenous parish was language. The natives also use Chinese as a common language, so there was no need for me to learn the native language separately. Since the priest's portion of the Mass was in Chinese, and the believers' responses, readings, and hymns were in the Ami language, I thought that there would be no major difficulties if I did the same, so I celebrated my first Mass that way after taking office. However, the mass was very awkward and bothered me. Even though it had been a couple of months since I took office, that feeling continued, and I thought of saying mass in the Ami language. I thought I would try the gospel first, so I asked a liturgy worker for help and practised my pronunciation.
The gospel that day wasn't long, but it was longer in the native language, and I was very nervous because it was my first time. Before the gospel began, “The Lord is with you,” was spoken in Chinese, so the believers were not expecting it at all. When I read the gospel in their own words, the believers’ eyes widened, and I saw their surprised faces. When we finished singing “This is the word of the Lord !”, applause broke out. Although the sermon was in Chinese, I could feel that the believers were more focused on the sermon than ever before. When I greeted the believers after the mass, even those who used to say hello briefly and then quickly left kept giving me a thumbs up, saying, “Arai Shinpu, you’re really great,” and giving me a thumbs up, which made me proud. After that, as I read the Gospel several more times in the native language, I gradually gained confidence, and from the beginning of the mass, I gradually increased the portions spoken in the native language. Right now, I only do the “Holy Mass” part, but I’m preparing to do the entire mass soon. After doing this for a few months, the number of believers attending the first Sunday mass increased noticeably.
On Sundays, indigenous people gather together for meetings and run a class to teach and learn their language. When I went to the meeting after the second mass, he handed me a glass of beer and said, “Father, your pronunciation was really good when you read the gospel today.” Some people say, “It shouldn’t be read that way; it should be read this way.” Some people do it. Then, the person listening next to me said, “The priest reads better than you, so you should practice more, brother,” and we laughed out loud together.
For every missionary, it is a special blessing to have a good time with parishioners offering Mass in different languages and to preach at the children's Sunday school mass. Likewise, for indigenous people, it is a time of special grace when they hear the gospel and pray in their native language rather than Chinese. I am glad that I can share that grace. I am thankful to God that with my small efforts, they have accepted me little by little, and those who have left the church are coming back little by little.
Pope Francis said this in his first address immediately after his election: “Now we begin our journey as Bishop (of Rome) and as People (of God). This journey is about leading the whole church with love. It is a journey of brotherhood, love and trust between us. Let us always pray for one another .” In this first greeting, we find what God wants for the Church. “Journey for each other” is achieved through “participation” and “meeting.” Even though I have limited strength, I learned the language to 'participate' in the culture of the people here, which helped me meet them more deeply, and I also had new 'meetings' with people who returned to the church. That's how we live synodaly with the people here.
2023 marks the 90th anniversary of the Columban Society's entry into Korea. We look back on the journey the Columban missionaries have taken over a long period of time, and ask all of us, as missionaries, to join in the journey of brotherhood, love, and trust where we are now. “Arai hanita kowama! Let us give thanks to God !”
Columban Fr Seok Jin-Wook Antonio currently serves as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Shinju Diocese,Taiwan, and also ministers to immigrants and the disabled.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin.
- Watch On Mission in Taiwan - Fr Seok Jin-Wook Antonio
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