On October 3, 1988 the inauguration of the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Korea was celebrated by the late Metropolitan of New Zealand and Exarchate of Korea, Dionysios.
On October 3, 2018, along with the 30th Anniversary of the Holy Monastery, we celebrated the 24 Saints, Protectors of the Church of Korea. The event was attended by many faithful from the various Parishes of our Metropolis. October 3rd, which is a national holiday in Korea, has been established by the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s decision as the day of the Comemoration of the 24 Protectors of the Korean Church, whose holy relics are deposited at the Holy Monastery.
On the morning of October 3, the Service of Matins and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated, during which His Eminences Metropolitan of Pisidia, Sotirios and Metropolitan of Korea Ambrosios took part along with the priests Antonios Woo, Father Alexander Han, Father Jeremia Cho, Father Hilarion Chong, Father Romanos Kavckak, Father Antonios Lim, Fr. Christopher Moore, and Deacon Yiohan Park.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a meal was offered to everyone present at the Monastery’s courtyard. In his sermon, Metropolitan Ambrosios referred to the historical founding of the Holy Monastery and explained in detail how the construction of the Monastery became a reality which at that time seemed humanly impossible.
After his speech, Metropolitan Ambrosios , on behalf of everyone, thanked the founder of the Monastery Metropolitan Sotirios, ”who”, as he said, “has learned in his life to insist on getting something done when it concerns a pious project” and he added that “the purchase of the land, the issueing of the relevant building permits in a forest area, the money and the reconstruction of the building complex, all were done with a lot of effort and personal sacrifices of many persons”.
Subsequently, the Metropolitan of Korea commended with gratitude the efforts of the Korean and Greek people, those who have passed away and those still living, who in their own way or through their actions, such as the late Savvas Lee, Pavel Kim, Michael Park, Emmanuel Han, who were Members of the Ecclesiastical Council of Saint Nicholas of Seoul, effectively contributed to the erection of the Holy Monastery. In particular, he mentioned HE Sotirios’s father, Evangelos Trampas, who sold his orchard of orange trees and the money he collected he donated it of the construction of the Holy Monastery. He also mentioned His Eminence’s sister Theodora Trampa-Skoura, the dentist, who donated to the monastery a quantity of gold, which she had saved from her work.
The Metropolitan of Korea Ambrosios made a special remark about the first Korean Nun, sister Agathi Eun Young Paik, who, as he said, “like another Atlas is carrying on her shoulders the operation of the Holy Monastery”.
“At the beginning of the Monastery life, three Greek nuns from the Holy Monastery of Karea, sisters Joanna, Theolipti and Domniki, came to Korea and helped to organize the Monastery and remained there for three years, to whom we have always been grateful for their help and assistance. We also thank the Holy Monastery of Chrysopigi of Chania, Crete, for the help they offered to the Holy Monastery either through personal visits of the Abbess and Sisters in Korea, or by hosting Korean sisters in their Monastery”.
Finally, everyone expressed their good wishes for the construction of the new wing of the Monastery, through the intercessions of the 24 Holy protectors of the Church of Korea as well as of Saints Porfyrios and Paisios, which would serve the needs of the Orthodox pilgrims of the Holy Monastery for the glory of God.