First Korean-American Catholic Vocational Conference in Virginia

-Virginia has the highest concentration of Korean-American Catholics in the U.S. -Korean American Priests Association

-Virginia has the 4th largest Korean-American population in the U.S.  -U.S. Census Bureau 2014

ARLINGTON, Va. - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 70,000 Korean-Americans call Virginia home. And, while many have embraced American culture and society, they also yearn for the cultural traditions they left behind. One such tradition is the annual celebration in Korea called Come and You Will See - and for the first time in Virginia, Korean Catholics will celebrate it on August 20. The Catholic Diocese of Arlington has an estimated 10,000 registered Korean-American Catholics - the highest concentration in the country, according to the Korean American Priests Association.

"This conference is modeled after a conference in Korea, so it's bringing a little bit of home here," says Father J.D. Jaffe, Director of the Office of Vocations at the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Started in 2009 in Seoul, the initiative aims to help teenagers determine their calling - whether it's a single life, marriage, religious life, etc., through a series of workshops. "We are helping them see what God is calling them to be," says Jaffe. 

The difference between the Come and You Will See conference in Virginia and the one in Korea is that people of all ages are encouraged to attend. Another difference is that our program will be broken down into talks on a host of topics ranging from focusing on the concrete ways you can listen to what God is calling you to do through your parents, your friends, and your Church to discerning his Will despite distractions and the culture of secularization around us. 

A 51-year-old attorney, Jason Huh, is taking his two teenage boys. "I want them to look at all the options they have before them," says Huh. "I remember arriving here in 1974, and the Catholic Church providing for the Korean community. I am grateful for that." Now, he's looking forward to this event to help guide his children.

The conference will be held in Korean and English.

Here are the details:

What:              Korean-American Catholic Conference, Come and You Will See
When:             August 20, 2016
Time:               10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where:            St. Paul Chung Catholic Church, 4712 Rippling Pond, Fairfax, VA

About:
The Catholic Diocese of Arlington is home to 458,000 Catholics living in 21 counties and seven cities in central and Northern Virginia. Parishioners live out their faith at 69 parishes and 5 missions located in seven cities and the 21 northern most counties of Virginia. On the web: www.arlingtondiocese.org

Contact:
Angela Pellerano, Director of Media Relations for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington 703-841-2517, 571-215-8731 (mobile) a.pellerano@arlingtondiocese.org