The love of neighbor preached by the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, who stressed the idea of a "church within society," has continued in the field of social welfare for half a century. The Catholic Social Welfare Corporation of the Archdiocese of Seoul marks its 50th anniversary this year.
Cardinal Kim (1922-2009) showed deep interest in the society and people outside the church during his lifetime. He repeatedly expressed regret at not having drawn closer to the poor and the suffering. Founded on that conviction, the organization has spent the past 50 years seeking out the poor and marginalized in Korean society to build "a world where everyone lives with dignity."
The Catholic Social Welfare Corporation of Seoul was established on September 27, 1976, by Cardinal Kim, then archbishop of Seoul, to carry out the mission of a "church within society." Starting on a small scale at a Chinese community parish, the organization expanded its work as social needs shifted over the decades.
It created a department for people with disabilities in 1981 and opened a 24-hour counseling line, the Sharing Hotline, in 1983. In 1987, it opened Joseph's Clinic, a free medical facility for people who had difficulty accessing hospital care.
In 1989, it founded the Holy Family Adoption Center. Troubled by the identity confusion faced by children sent overseas, Cardinal Kim launched it under the slogan "Our children, by our own hands," making it the country's first agency dedicated to domestic adoption.
The group began a home hospice program in 1990 and, starting in the winter of 2000, sent teams on street patrols to prevent homeless people from freezing to death. A scholarship program for young people whose chances to learn and grow were limited by financial hardship and family breakdown has run for more than 40 years since 1984. It has awarded scholarships to some 3,000 recipients, including young North Korean defectors and young adults aging out of state care.
The organization's history also mirrors the changes and welfare needs of Korean society. When it was founded, with the number of tuberculosis patients in the country approaching 1 million, it opened Simon's House, a care facility for tuberculosis patients. After the 1997 Asian financial crisis swelled the ranks of homeless people and residents of single-room occupancy districts, it began street patrols and free meal services. More recently, it has expanded support as demand has grown for elderly care, including for older adults living alone.
The organization now runs 79 social welfare facilities for infants, children, people with disabilities, women, homeless people and older adults, operating them under contract from local governments and other bodies. The target groups and programs have changed with the times, but Cardinal Kim's founding spirit of respect for human dignity and love of neighbor has endured for 50 years.
The group is also preparing for its next 50 years. It is building a digital archive documenting its work over the past five decades and plans to hold a 50th anniversary ceremony and symposium at Myeongdong Cathedral on the 17th to chart the direction of its future activities.
