During my visit to Gwangju and Mokpo, I met two quite remarkable people: Fr. Noel O'Neill (Irish Columban) and Sr. Gerardine Ryan (Irish Columban sister). They have done truly great things in their work over many years.
Noel was working in a parish in Gwangju and came to see the needs of young people with mental and/or physical handicap. Traditionally, these people were kept very much at home, and, in a sense, not really recognised or accepted as people. I suppose there was very much a social and indeed a religious stigma to how they were as people.
So 25 years ago, Noel started his movement, called "Emmaus" - recalling the two disciples of Jesus meeting the 'stranger' on the Road to Emmaus - in a very, very small way. This has blossomed over the years, and now as well as his occupational training centre, and employment centre, "Emmaus" also has a number of group homes where about four people live together. Noel himself lives in a group home with three others. The idea is that of a supportive environment, where people who live with a handicap, live alongside someone without a handicap. Mind you, these terms "with or without a handicap" are not really appropriate. I mean who is without a handicap in some way or other?
"Emmaus" has now developed into a movement that is involved in supporting the lives of about 1600 people. We spent some time in their training and employment centres. It was wonderful to see such a happy and joyful atmosphere. The kind of things being done in terms of employment were assembling beautiful "Mother's Day" kind of broaches.
Others were being vocationally trained in a kind of mini-garden centre, working with clay/mosspeat and planting. We also visited a factory where young people are very meaningfully employed. One part of the factory manufactures candles of all sorts. The day we were there, some young people were working on putting transfers on candles that had been made in their factory; they had an order for 3,000 candles for the forthcoming installation of the new archbishop of Gwangju. They also manufacture toilet paper, of all things!, because they have regular big orders!
Words can't easily express what I saw at the training/employment centre, or at the factory. One can only marvel that 25 years ago, someone saw a real need in the lives of people and decided to try to make a difference for them. Noel has succeeded so well.
On Tuesday, we visited many of Sr. Gerardine Ryan's projects. She is an Irish Columban sister who originally worked in the Columban Hospital in Mokpo as a nurse when she came to Korea. Again, through her work she saw the need of children and young people who lived with handicap or challenge. She decided to do something about it, returned to Ireland, and studied and trained with the John of God brothers in this area of work. When she returned to Korea, it wasn't just a question of applying all she had learned; it all had to be adapted to Korean culture and circumstances.
Gerardine's movement or organisation is called "The Bright Way" - leading people to a better quality of life. She is an absolutely amazing woman, who after so many years at this work, still has an obvious great passion for it. What we saw on Tuesday was fascinating. She has a huge centre, which has expanded over the years, and which provides training in all kinds of areas. The day we were there was "Handicap Day" so most of the young people were away on outings.
However we did see their factory, including a bakery, and a soap manufacturing unit. We also visited a half-completed new large building which will contain apartments in a supportive environment for young people as they become independent in their living arrangements. This building has been designed as multi-purpose, and could in the future be very suitable for much older people.
Our final port of call was to a most beautiful place: a day centre for the young; very young (babies) up to about 10 years of age. There was a most beautiful atmosphere in this place. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, support with schoolwork (some children come here after school). To see the young female qualified staff working with the young and sometimes very young children was a total inspiration. This was a most moving experience and very hard to describe. It was about an experience of real vulnerability in the lives of very young people; but also a place where you really felt all the qualities that they bring to life, people and the world. It was just a complete joy to spend some time with them.
What I have written about Ger Ryan and Noel O'Neill does not do justice to them, their work, or all the people they work with. I am very struck by each of them as people, and by their remarkable achievements in setting out on a totally new course when they saw a need and decided to try to do something about it.
