St. Andrew Kim Korean Catholic Church celebrates 50th Anniversary Mass (Photos/Video)
St. Andrew Kim, a Korean Roman Catholic church located in Maplewood, marked its 50th year on Saturday, Sept. 24, with a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, CSsR. Bishop Manuel Cruz, DD, concelebrated the Mass with the Cardinal. Over 700 people attended.
The Parish of St. Andrew Kim, established in 1972, is the mother church of six Korean parishes on the Northeast coast, which include The Korean Martyrs (Saddle brook), St. Joseph Church (Demarest), The Madonna Church (Fort Lee), St. Michael Church (Palisades Park), Our Lady of Mercy(South Bound Brook), and Church of Immaculate Conception(Eatontown).
It originally had its home in the now-demolished church of St. Venantius in Orange. The thriving and vibrant Korean Catholic parish is located in the former church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The pastor Father Paul Kyung Lee, Parochial Vicars Father Michael Yeong Min Kim and Father Silvanus Jeong Gyeong Kim, and Permanent Deacon Father John Kim were in attendance.
The celebrants at St. Andrew Kim Korean Catholic Church. 
A gift is presented to Cardinal Tobin. 
On the left wall is a rendering of Choe Yang-Eop Thomas who was a Korean Roman Catholic priest during the Joseon dynasty, who travelled across Eastern Asia as a seminarian and priest before settling at last after a period of persecution back in his homeland where he administered to hidden Christians until his death. 
Children bring up the gifts. 
Parishioners pray. 
The choir sings as tradional Korean instruments are played. 
Parishioners sing. 
Parishioners pray. 
Children bring up the gifts. 
The procession into the church. 
The procession into the church. 
The procession into the church. 
A rendering of Andrew Kim Taegon is carried up to the altar. He was the first Korean-born Catholic priest and is the patron saint of Korean clergy. 
The procession into the church.
The chorus plays and sings Gloria, with its rhythm and melody reformed to the traditional Korean music style. We call it, as gugak (국악), which literally means “national music.” The music instruments are gayagum, haegum and buk.
