SAO PAULO (Fides Agency) - “If we ask ourselves where the shepherd of the diaspora should go, I would answer that he must go where people live in an ambiguous, undefined place—neither here nor there—that is, on the border.” This is how Father Giuseppe Kang describes the nature of his work in Brazil, serving the small Korean community in Campinas, located in the state of São Paulo, about 100 km northwest of the capital.
“According to the division of the world, it is possible to clearly distinguish Korea and Brazil in terms of geography, culture, and nationality, but the lives of immigrants are not bound by these borders,” continues the missionary, originally from the parish of Jeonmin-Dong in the Diocese of Daejeon.
Drawing inspiration from the deeds of Jesus as recounted in the Gospel of Luke, Father Joseph recounts his experience working alongside this small Korean community after completing his first four-year assignment in São Paulo. While the community in the capital welcomes about 700–800 people to Sunday Mass at the parish of Andrew Kim Taegon, the number of Koreans attending Mass at the chapel of the Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena in Campinas does not exceed 40.
The first priest was invited in 2013 to celebrate the sacraments for this community, half of which consists of expatriates and half of employees of local companies: “Just as Jesus went to the very border to be with those who could not enter anywhere.”
“Even though priests from Korea tend to replicate the pastoral approaches of their ministry back home, pastoral care for immigrants is not simply an extension of pastoral care in Korea,” explains Father Joseph. “The people living here face the typical challenges of immigrants and see Korean and Brazilian cultures coexisting in their daily lives.” “Although the community is small, it serves as a fine model for the local Korean community, where many feel drawn to believe in Jesus,” concludes the priest.
In the parish of Andrew Kim Taegon in São Paulo, where the majority of the Korean Catholic community resides, various groups and associations animate the pastoral life of generations of immigrants who first arrived in the 1960s. The church named after the first Korean martyr priest celebrates Parish Day in commemoration of its founding in May, while in September the “Kim Daegeon Festival” is held in commemoration of the Feast of the Korean Martyrs. These occasions serve to introduce the community to Brazilian society. This means that, as various aspects of Korean culture spread, interest in the Korean martyrs is growing throughout Brazilian society.
“A linguistic approach is essential,” says Father Augustine Kang Chulmin, who arrived about a year ago. “Given the long history of immigration, it is unrealistic to expect people to continue speaking Korean from a linguistic standpoint; therefore, for young people and young adults, as well as for couples with young children, the use of Portuguese is inevitable,” continues the priest, who is originally from the Diocese of Daejeon. “One of the main challenges is overcoming the pastoral divide caused by the language gap between young people and the elderly, which is also evident in the liturgy and requires discernment in pastoral activities.”
Father Chulmin expresses a strong desire to help young people maintain their Korean identity and not forget their roots, encouraging them to take an interest in learning and using the Korean language. “It is so necessary that even priests who have come from South Korea—which, from a linguistic standpoint, has very little in common with the Portuguese language—understand the language of the host culture,” adds Kang, who, together with his assistant pastor Uldaricus Lee Sangdeok, organizes Bible study sessions and preparation for the various sacraments.
In a unique initiative, and given its location in Brazil, the church has facilities for playing soccer on its premises and participates every year in a soccer tournament alongside the nearby Korean Protestant church. “As a parish that focuses primarily on pastoral care for our compatriots, it does not organize mission-related events, but about two years ago it launched a missionary initiative with students interested in the priesthood, called ‘Semente de Deus’ (Seed of God),” Father Augustine Kang tells us.
The first Mass celebrated for the Korean community in Brazil took place on May 9, 1965. At that time, the first Mass for Koreans was celebrated at the Church of San Gonzalo—which was dedicated to the Japanese community—by Father Yoshihara. Its approval as the “Igreja Pessoal Coreana” dates back to July 25, 1972, while the current church, located in the Bom Retiro neighborhood, was consecrated on May 9, 2004.
The Holy See and Brazil are celebrating the bicentennial of diplomatic relations this year. Brazil is the country with the largest Catholic population in the world. The country was visited by Pope John Paul II on several occasions and by Pope Francis for his first apostolic journey after his election, which took place during World Youth Day in 2013—an ecclesial event that South Korea is set to host in 2027.
(Fides Agency 19/3/2026)
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