Why St Dymphna's Mission? (English Mission In Korea)

I've been in South Korea for about three years, and it was a particularly dark journey to go on alone. I'm an incredibly melancholic person, and I find myself overthinking things a lot. Culture shock is real, and as one of my friends pointed out, South Africans like me often experience "double culture shock." In other words, we don't only experience culture shock because of the Korean culture but also because of the other cultures of the people we meet here.

For me, as a South African, listening to American English can sometimes be like a journey into a new fantastical world. I know that growing up, we were always told that American English was simply categorically wrong. This has of course messed with my own grasp of the English language, as I sometimes conflate my own British-South African English with its American form. Sometimes it feels like I'm, quite frankly, going nuts.

In the Next Season

As someone awaiting ordination to the priesthood, I can only say that my task for the next while is to provide fellowship, friendship, and perhaps pastoral guidance. Of course, this goes without saying. This is why I have decided to name this mission after St. Dymphna, the patron saint of anxiety, depression, and mental affliction. Coming to South Korea can be a challenging task, considering the culture's own alien expression compared to most English cultures.

For now, I will seek to offer my own friendship in hopes that this mission and vision move beyond simple coffee dates and Zoom prayer meetings. I continue to pursue relationships with people from other churches; in fact, at times I have been welcomed to participate in their liturgies and services.

Discussions and future meetings

Besides reading and collecting books, I enjoy going for walks and listening to incredibly cryptic music. I probably am a strange person, but I leave this here for Christians and, quite frankly, anyone interested in friendship and fellowship centered around the deeper meaning of life. What we offer at St. Dympha's is exactly that.

St. Dymphna's Mission

The figure of St. Dymphna is rooted in a historical figure who intercedes for the world. In Catholic Unversalist piety, we profess that such a person now worships and exists in union with the fulness of divine nature. They are part of the cloud of witnesses; they have become gods.

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4

"Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. "For consider him who endured such opposition from sinners against himself, lest your minds grow weary and faint."(Hebrews 12:1-3) 

"God became man so that man might become a god." Athanasius of Alexandria

 

The Reality of the Supernatural

 

Regardless of the resurgence of many Christless religions and fathers, there remain Christians who are seeking the ancient path of Christianity, not beholden to imperial orthodoxies. At St. Dymphna's, we represent traditional liturgy, worship, and worldview. We believe in the ancient Christian faith but also in the supernatural realm, whether it be angels, demons, faeries, vampires, etc. We are returning to an ancient tradition, and I would argue for a more genuine affirmation of the supernatural, rejecting modernistic rejections of the supernatural realm.

 

We hope that if you are a foreigner or local in South Korea, you will reach out and maybe get some coffee with us, or perhaps a beer.

 

God bless you!