This missionary priest has been to North Korea more than 50 times, medically serving almost 1,000 new patients every time he goes.
He admits that after his ordination in 1960, with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, the 106-year-old mission society of the U.S. Catholic Church, he wondered if he had what it took to be positioned in Korea. However, upon arrival, he established a bond with the Korean children, that has only gotten stronger with time.
FR. GERARD HAMMOND
Korean Missionary
“The idea of [me being] an 'apostle of peace' and an 'apostle of hope...' actually that comes from the patients themselves. When you see them and give them a greeting, they'll say thanks for giving me hope. Thanks for giving me life. Because our mission is one of mercy and compassion. Pope Francis has said this time and time again, we must go to the peripheries.”
He says while caring for the body of each patient, one can also care for them in other aspects, such as by simply listening to their stories and by being a friend.
FR. GERARD HAMMOND
Korean Missionary
“I think that's one of the important things we do as missionaries, is to listen to the voice of the people. I hope that by listening to the sounds of the people I can also be an agent of peace on the peninsula, because these people are those that as Christ has told us, 'where there is suffering, we should be.'”
He says even with the political tensions high between both countries, his life has been transformed as he discovered the reality behind the idea of mission.
FR. GERARD HAMMOND
Korean Missionary
“As a missionary, that's my hope. That somehow, with all these difficulties that are taking place now, that there will be someway to have truly peace for these people. The young lad that came 57 years ago, now is understanding what really mission is like... mission, or what i like to say, the romance of mission is learning to fall in love with the people you came to serve.”
He says during his lifetime, he's had the blessing of serving the people in Korea, not only the North or only the South, but Korea in general. This is what he likes to remember as he continues to serve as the 'apostle of peace' and an 'apostle of hope.'
