Recently ordained Deaf diocesan priest
Deaf Korean priest, Fr Dong-Jun Kim was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood for the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea on Friday, February 7th, 2025. The Archbishop of Seoul appointed Fr Kim as Parochial Vicars (Assistant Pastor) of Ephphatha Deaf Parish located in the central of Seoul and Chaplain for the Deaf Catholic school called ‘Aehwa School for the Deaf’ in the Archdiocese of Seoul. Fr Kim will begin to minister to the Deaf at the Ephphatha Deaf Parish and Aehwa School for the Deaf from Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
Deaf seminarian
Mark Dong-Hyuk Shin. Shin is 26 years old. He was born deaf in South Korea in 1999. When he was 3 years old, he began to learn how to speak orally at Aehwa School for the Deaf in Seoul, South Korea. At the age of 5, he was very good at speaking orally, so he went to a hearing school to study with hearing students. After he graduated from all hearing schools, he felt that God called him to the priesthood. Bishop of Chuncheon accepted him as a diocesan seminarian for the Diocese of Chuncheon and he entered Suwon Major Seminary in Suwon City. He already took all philosophy courses and is studying theology now. The bishop of Chuncheon encouraged him to learn Korean Sign Language, so he began to study Korean Sign Language. Hopefully he will be ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in December, 2029. If he becomes a priest, he will be third Deaf priest in South Korea and fifth Deaf priest in Asia. Please pray for his priestly vocation.
Deaf Vietnamese priest
A Deaf Vietnamese man, Vincent Lam Van Chi, became a Catholic priest on November 19, 2020. Fr Vincent Lam Van Chi is 66 years old and lives in Bien Hoa, about 20 miles away from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Vincent was born hearing in Vietnam in 1959. He entered a minor seminary in 1970 to be a Catholic priest when he was 11 years old. In 1975, the seminary was closed permanently and he had to return home because of the Vietnam War. However, he continued to study philosophy and theology in hiding. When Vincent was 44 years old, he became Deaf because of Typhoid fever in 2003. But he did not give up studying for the priesthood. In addition, he found a book of Vietnamese Sign Language and he learned it himself. Also he often met some Deaf people and communicated with them. In 2012, at the age of 53, Vincent was ordinated to the diaconate (Deacon) and he ministered as a deacon for 8 years. Finally, at the age of 61, Vincent was ordinated to the Roman Catholic priesthood by Bishop Joseph Dinh Duc Dao at the Xuan Loc Bishop’s Chapel on November 19, 2020. Fr. Vincent, a diocesan priest, was appointed Chaplain for Deaf people in the Diocese of Xuan Loc, about 20 miles away from Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam.
Deaf Singaporean priest
For many of his parishioners, Father Rowland Yeo is more than a spiritual leader; he has become a role model for anyone fearing a disability might limit one’s potential. On November 28 2015, Father Yeo became the first deaf priest to be ordained in Southeast Asia and one of just two dozen worldwide. Every Sunday for the past decade, Father Yeo serves the deaf community. He is an active and respected member of his brotherhood, but the life is not without moments of loneliness. ‘Some challenges include communication with the friars in my community, particularly at meal times, when discussions can be very lively and it is hard for me to catch up.’ he said. Born to a Buddhist family in Singapore in 1957, Father Yeo was drawn to the church when a Catholic aunt had him accompany her to a service at age 11. Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, Father Yeo joined the Franciscan brotherhood in 1997.