The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, active in Korea since 1966, is the country's only sisterhood order dedicated to working in almost every possible area of help for marginalized women in society. For over 50 years, they have operated facilities like Maria’s House for single mothers and Joseph’s House for single mothers and children, assisting with childbirth and self-reliance. They also run Euphrasia House for teenage victims of sexual abuse and manage the 1366 Women’s Emergency Hotline for domestic violence victims in Gangwon and Jeju. The congregation introduced the "TeenSTAR" program for love and life sex education that represents the Catholic church and provides post-abortion healing retreats to help women reconcile with themselves, their baby, and God. Their efforts span education, counseling, and comprehensive support for women in need.
Professor Shin Kunyoo
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) Life Sciences
Based on his years of research on adult stem cells, Professor Shin has conducted a number of innovative studies based on bioethics, and recently built a human assembloid, an in vitro organoid based on adult stem cells, and published it in the world-renowned journal Nature. This research, which was selected as one of the 100 Best Achievements in National Research and Development Excellence in 2021, is a leading research in the field of adult stem cell-based life sciences and is an innovative research based on Catholic bioethics. As a new concept of patient-customized mini-organs, the human assembloid developed by Professor Shin is considered to be a new innovative technology, enabling the development of a future platform for the treatment of various intractable diseases and the establishment of a new paradigm for next-generation drug development.
In May 2000, before the government focused on protecting elderly abuse victims, the Caritas Sisters of Jesus launched the nation’s first elder abuse counseling center and shelter, raising awareness of the need for intervention. This initiative helped drive the 2004 revision of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, establishing a national framework for preventing elder abuse and protecting victims. The Seoul South Elder Protection Agency operates a 24-hour abuse hotline and runs educational, awareness, and community programs to address negative perceptions of the elderly. In line with Pope Francis' 2021 designation of the fourth Sunday of July as 'World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly,' the agency continues to promote respect for seniors.
It is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 to support the funerals of comfort women survivors and indigent people who are unable to pay for their funerals due to financial difficulties. Since 2014, the organization has been supporting the funerals of the unclaimed dead, who are unable to be buried due to financial difficulties and social rejection. On March 22, 2018, the organization contributed to enacting Seoul's first law for public support for funerals of unclaimed deaths. In 2020 alone, the organization held the funerals of 660 unclaimed deaths, including joint memorial services for the unrelated and homeless, and operated a counseling center for the funerals of low-income citizens. The existence of a place that provides a dignified end to human life is a great comfort to the unclaimed dead and low-income citizens and has been supported by public donations for more than ten years.
