by Carol Sowa
Today's Catholic

    He had been a young South Korean refugee fleeing North Korean troops, an office boy for war correspondents with the Stars and Stripes and a policeman in the royal Korean palace. Later, in America, he became a college student at St. Mary’s University, a production artist for the archdiocesan newspaper, a successful business owner, a permanent deacon, a devoted husband, father and grandfather and, finally, a widower. ”
    Now, in the parish church where he had raised his family, surrounded by many of those who had played key roles in his faith journey, Father Kim received the sacrament of holy orders from Archbishop Patrick F. Flores. It will probably be the archbishop’s last ordination before his impending retirement.
Concelebrants included Father David H. Kim of the Pusan Diocese of Korea, who had been Father Philip Kim’s former pastor at Korean Martyrs Church in Leon Springs, and Father Augustine Kim, current pastor at Korean Martyrs Church. (Neither is related to the newly ordained Father Kim.)
Also present as concelebrants were: Father
Arturo Cepeda (the archdiocesan director of vocations); Father James D. Bracken, SCJ (rector of     Sacred Heart Seminary near Milwaukee, Wis., where Father Kim received his master’s degree in theology from Sacred Heart School of Theology on April 30); Msgr. Lawrence Stuebben (archdiocesan vicar general); Father John O’Donoghue (pastor, Blessed Sacrament Church); Msgr. James Golasinski (pastor, Annunciation Church, Houston); Father Lucas Lee (pastor, St. Ignatius Kim Mission); Father Andrew Im (pastor, New Brunswick Korean Church): and Father Francis McHugh (pastor, St. Pius X Church).

    Deacons assisting were David Placette (Diocese of Beaumont), Thomas Crowley, Gene Townsend and John Michel. Seminarian servers were James Pemberton (Diocese of Fort Worth); Carl Hellwig, Jr. (Diocese of Palm Beach); Mike Millard (Diocese of Bismarck); Robert Newbury (Diocese of Colorado Springs) and seminarians of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Numerous other priests and deacons were in attendance, and sacred music for the occasion was provided by both the Korean Martyrs Church Choir and the St. Pius X Church Traditional Choir.
    Programs contained text in both the Korean and English languages, with Father McHugh noting in his opening welcome the “pride in the rich expression of language, music and dance that are available to us in this archdiocese.” Susan Y. Shaffer, Father Kim’s daughter, gave the first reading in Korean, followed by his son, Louis J. Kim, who delivered the second reading in English. The Gospel reading was proclaimed by Deacon Michael Peinemann.
    In his homily, Archbishop Flores, outlined the many responsibilities of the priesthood, drawing a comparison between the about-to-be-ordained Father Kim and St. Peter, chosen by Christ to go out and serve. The archbishop concluded by saying, “And now that the Lord has called you, ‘Come, follow me and I will send you,’ you have said, ‘Here I am.’ And here you are.” Injecting a bit of gentle humor into the proceedings, the Archbishop noted he had made an agreement with Father Kim that, since he was being ordained at the age of 72, he could not retire until he became 89.

    Assisting with Father Kim’s investiture were Father Augustine Kim and Father Thomas Kavanaugh, CM, parochial vicar at St. Matthew’s Church. Father Kavanaugh had been Father Kim’s employer at Assumption Seminary when the young Korean first arrived in America. He had later presided at the marriage of the Kims, as well as at their daughter’s wedding.
    Archbishop Flores announced that the newly ordained priest’s first assignment would be to serve as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, effective July 1, for a period of three years.
    Before joining his well-wishers for a dinner reception in the church hall, Father Kim addressed those present from the pulpit, relating he had no thought of becoming a Catholic, much less a permanent deacon or a priest, when he arrived in the United States 48 years before. “This wasn’t my plan,” he said, “but God’s grace and providence became real for me.” He went on to express his deep gratitude to “God and you – each one of you, each one of my priest friends and deacons and my family, who made this overwhelming joy in my life.”
    He added that his becoming a priest, following the death of his beloved wife, had been at the suggestion of Archbishop Flores and was “my wife’s last wish.” (His wife of 34 years, Mary Agnes Lee Kim, died of complications from cancer in January 2001.)
    “When I came to the United States to study, there was one man who helped me,” Father Kim continued. “I had met him during the Korean War and he brought me to the United States, to San Antonio. He enrolled me at St. Mary’s University. He got me a job part-time at Assumption Seminary. Then, after college, he hired me to work at his newspaper (The Alamo Messenger, predecessor to Today’s Catholic). Most of all, he opened the door to the Catholic world.”

    Referring to becoming a Catholic, a permanent deacon and then a priest, Father Kim noted, “This, my special journey, happened because one man opened the door to a new world and gave me the opportunity to be what I am today.” He then asked Dick Meskill, the war correspondent for whom he had worked so long ago in Korea, to stand and be recognized, along with Meskill’s brother, Bill, and sisters, Cora and Jane, calling them “my first American family.” With them was Ed Frankowski of Chicago, a fellow war correspondent with Meskill in Korea and friend of Father Kim’s.
    Father Kim also spoke of those who had passed on, but were in his thoughts on this special day, including his wife Mary Agnes, Msgr. Joseph Manning, Msgr. William Martin, Msgr. Alexander Wangler and Father Carlos Quintana. Finally, he expressed his excitement at being assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, “where I’m going to find new love, new family, new fellowship with the parishioners I meet over there.”
    And, as he had done so many times throughout his life, he promised, “I will give it my best shot to do God’s will.