Sister Marie So Hee  

Sister Marie So Hee                     ND 7664                      PDF Download

JUNG, Sun Min

Regina Pacis Province, Incheon, South Korea

Date and Place of Birth:             Feb. 21, 1977          Jinhae, Gyeongsangnam-do
Date and Place of Profession:   Jan. 25, 2004         Incheon
Date and Place of Death:           Sept. 26, 2022        Incheon
Date and Place of Burial:           Sept. 28, 2022        Yangju, Gyeonggi-do

“I shall live forever with Jesus, the king of love who lives in me.”

Sister Marie So Hee was the first child of CHUNG, Hyun-Gook, father and PARK, Soon-Deok, mother and had a younger brother. Inheriting deep faith from her parents, she began her life of faith and was an active catechist at Sunday school at her parish. Her mother is ND associate, who has been living the spirit of Notre Dame with her.

After the first profession, at parishes and schools where she worked, she brought God’s love with her wonderful smile. Her smile fully showed her good and bright personality which was gifted from God. At parishes, her presence with smile for parishioners made them feel God’s goodness.

Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in science of religion at Daegu Catholic University Hyoseong campus before she entered, she dedicated herself as a Notre Dame educator in Bakmun girls’ middle school, Bakmun elementary school and Daecheol Middle School for 13 years. At schools, she always reached out to the poor and marginalized students and became their friend, who embraced their joy and sorrow. Her typical cheerful being gave students vitality and hope and helped them enjoying the school life better. Her focus at Bakmun Middle School, her last ministerial place was the education of ecology. She, with love for nature like her patron St. Francis’, emphasized the creature’s pain caused by the human and the importance of recovering the environment. She also gave the students joy of living with nature by caring for and cultivating crops with them on the rooftop, another space of education.

Within communities Sister So Hee helped create a bright and positive atmosphere, making herself available. She worked together for the community with simplicity and sincerity, supported fellow sisters with praise and encouragement and was deeply happy about and grateful for small gifts and care.

Suffering from severe pain since the second semester of 2022, she was discovered with neurofibroma spreading all over the body, especially around small intestines and main artery close to the spine. For the treatments, she resigned her ministry at school and moved to the provincial house on August. 10. The surgery in two days to remove tumor of small intestine was successful. Another surgery on September 22 to remove tumor around the main artery close to the spine causing strong pain was a major one, in which the main artery covered with tumor war removed and an artificial aorta was implanted. The operation went well amongst ardent prayers of the whole community and she expressed her deep gratitude. However, as a leak at anastomosis of aorta caused a shock, she left us to go home to God.

Sister’s constant positivity and liveliness and thankfulness toward the community as well as God even in her serious condition before operations deeply touched all those around her. Like her religious name, meaning ‘little joy,’ she lived a life full of joy and gratitude to God even for the smallest things. Grieving our great loss, we remember her as a hidden treasure, who had this great joy-filled smile and encouraging attitude.

May Sister Marie So Hee who must be resting in our good God dwell forever with Jesus, the King of love like her motto.