At present, 15 Pauline centers are open across the country. Among them, the center located at Dongseong-ro in Daegu has been a place of meeting, prayer and consolation in the Archdiocese of Daegu since 1972.
Thanks to the Providence of God, the renovation work to improve the old building started about four years ago. We had nothing at that time, but the abundant grace of God always opens the way to go forward.
The renovation work of the Pauline bookshop in Daegu began with a very simple proposal by Fr. Peter Damiano Shon, director of Jeonin Hospital specializing in rehabilitation as well as the mental and social improvement of the patients through Comprehensive and Integrative Medicine integrating Oriental and Western medicine.
Whenever Fr. Peter Damiano, who was interested in our Pauline apostolate and supported us for a long time, visited our bookshop, he was very sorry to see that some spaces were not properly utilized.
So, he suggested to be born again as the place that more people who come to the bookshop can meet the good publications, have consolation in it, and meet God. Timely, knowing the intention of a couple of Daniel Kim, who wanted to use for the good the precious legacy left behind by the deceased mother of Agnes Baek, he encouraged them to donate the sum to create the space for people making use of the good publications and the bookshop.
Their mother, who lived for the wounded, the poor, the lonely and those who were thirsty for music and culture, passed away by a medical accident…
In the midst of a rapidly changing world from analog to digital culture, the Daughters of Saint Paul are constantly taking steps to reorganize the apostolate to respond to society properly as "Pauline" sisters. Thus, we planned the renovation of the Pauline bookshop with the starting point of the donations of this couple.
Archbishop Thaddeus Cho of Daegu archdiocese was also pleased with this plan and allowed us to collect donations within the archdiocese.
So, over the past three years, our Pauline sisters in the Daegu community have visited 49 parishes in Daegu in search of donations. At the same time, many people from acquaintances to collaborators, from elementary school students to senior citizens in their 90s personally provided generous help.
Pauline bookshop in Daegu provides such programs as Faith Academy, Bible Study, Prayer Training, Cultural Spirituality Class, Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration, Permanent Confession, Mind Care, Concerts, Theater, Exhibitions, etc.
Our Constitutions exhort us to "dedicate our time, our energies, our very life to the cause of the Gospels" with joy. When we are willing to give out everything and to testify of the presence of God, our bookshop will be a spring that cultivates spiritual strength to satisfy the spiritual aspirations of the believers and a place of comfort and hope for people, instilling dreams and love and illuminating the light.
The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.