Holy Word Convent

About this place

The Busan District Community of the Congregation of the Sacred Word is a religious community of the congregation serving within the Diocese of Busan. The Catholic Church directory in Korea currently lists the community in Jaesong-dong, Haeundae-gu, as the congregation’s “Busan District Community.” The Congregation of the Sacred Word is a diocesan congregation that combines contemplation and apostolic activity and lives within the Third Order Franciscan tradition, placing fidelity to the Gospel and its proclamation at the center of its vocation.

The congregation arose from the vocation of its Korean woman founder, Sister Jang Hwa-ja (Hildegard), and began community life in Busan while caring for people suffering in the difficult years after the Korean War. The present Busan District Community is not the congregation’s motherhouse but a local community that lives this spirituality in the Busan area. It is therefore important to distinguish the nationwide history of the congregation from the particular history of the current Jaesong-dong community. What can be firmly identified today is its role as a religious community of the congregation within the Diocese of Busan.