I remember a smiling Sr. Helena who liked to share chocolate whenever there were some occasions to meet together in Rome. She looked most fragile but still participated in singing together with the community.
Sr. Helena Soon-ki Park who was born in 1951 in Busan and lived the missionary
life in Italy for 40 years passed away on a beautiful spring day on April 6,
2020, at the age of 70 in the midst of widespread pandemic in the world.
According to her novitiate colleague, she was a bit shy but she liked to make
others happy with warm-hearted love, wit, and playful words. Her cheerful
expressions, pleasant attitudes, and good mentality made others feel
comfortable.
She used to collect and save various things to share with others as a gift when
the feast day of sisters approached. Above all, she prayed hard and practiced
her devotion well.
She was willing to decorate the hallway or bulletin board. When she practiced
dancing to celebrate various events like the first profession or the perpetual
profession, she joined actively and guided her companions to do hand gestures
flexibly. She didn't learn music professionally but she could memorize a melody
quickly and sang along beautifully.
She was very considerate of those who were sick and ran to the nurse to take
medicine and care for them. She always stayed until the end to cover her shoulder
with a blanket to protect others from the cold weather when they went to bed on
a cold winter night. In this way, she practiced sincere warm-heartedness in
taking care of others.
In fact, she wasn't healthy at all and she was very particular with some food like rabbit meat. Nevertheless, she made efforts to be patient and adjust herself to the rules of being grateful and taking all the food that the convent gave.
She entered the Congregation in 1974 and made her first profession on Jan. 25,
1979. In 1981, still as a junior, she accepted the invitation to serve in the
Queen of Apostles Hospital run by the Daughters of St. Paul in Albano.
Together with another Korean sister, she finished her nursing studies in Rome
and served in the hospital.
Whenever she came to Korea on her vacation, she never lost her kind and
attentive heart, bringing even the smallest gifts like a rosary, small holy
articles, the cross, the holy image, chocolate, etc. for the community. She
loved the Queen of Apostles hospital so much that she didn't come to Korea
often. Her mindset also began to resemble that of an Italian.
Unhappily, an abnormality began to occur in her body. Due to poor circulation,
her hands became cold like ice, and the color of her fingertips changed. Even
though her body became weaker and weaker, she never resigned from serving as a
nurse.
Also as a community choir leader, she didn't lose the joy of teaching the hymns
and serving for the liturgy. As a music teacher who played the organ
enthusiastically and taught the hymns for the many elder sisters of the Albano
community, she gave her whole being up to her last strength. She had such an
indomitable inner power. May eternal peace rest upon her!
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/04/162_288291.html
The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ April 23, 2020
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