New Year’s Address for 2026

“A Mission We Walk Together, a Peace We Build Together”

As we welcome the new year of 2026, a year in which the horizon of hope unfolds before us, I sincerely pray that within this precious time granted by the Lord, God’s boundless love and peace may dwell deeply in your families and in your lives. I give thanks to God, who has embraced and guided us even amid the many challenges of the past year, and I hope that in the year ahead, we may continue to gain strength and courage by following His warm and compassionate heart.

Saint Paul urges us, saying, “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). This is an invitation to make the love, hope, consideration, and humility shown by Jesus Christ the standard of our lives. When we put into practice Christ’s love, gentleness, and care for the poor and the weak, we can truly become the light and salt of the world. This is also the reason our institution has chosen the path of education and healthcare. When, in the face of both great and small challenges before us, our hearts align with the heart of Christ, we will discover an unshakable hope and gain true courage. This, I firmly believe, is what it means to “live with the heart of Jesus (Vivere in Corde Jesu).”

The year 2026 is a crucial year in which preparations for the World Youth Day (WYD) will be carried out in earnest. As our institution and the entire Church prepare for this event together with young people—singing anew the song of hope in Christ Jesus—we have already embarked on a sacred journey for the future of the Church. This celebration will be a time to reexamine the spiritual and moral attitudes we are called to uphold as Christians, and to strengthen our courage to bear witness to God’s authority in the midst of the world. Over the past year, we have faced numerous hardships in an environment that was far from easy. Nevertheless, the dedication and sacrifices of faculty and staff who have faithfully carried out their duties day after day in medical, educational, and administrative settings—while upholding the dignity of life—have been the driving force sustaining our community. Even amid trials, the strength that enabled us to persevere came from your efforts to treat each patient, student, and individual with the heart of Christ, and from your trust in God. This experience has once again reminded us how noble, yet at the same time demanding, the mission entrusted to us truly is.

Pope Leo XIV, in his message for the World Day of Youth, invited us to reflect on the friendship with Jesus given to us as a gift from God, and on the efforts each of us makes as builders of peace in society. Remaining steadfast amid the turbulence of the world and faithfully living out the calling and responsibility God has entrusted to us is the most precious legacy we can leave to the younger generation. The World Youth Day to be held in Seoul in 2027 will serve as an opportunity to proclaim boldly to the world—through the passion and hope of young people—this friendship with God and our mission to build peace. We, too, must gather our strength so that this sacred field may bear abundant fruit.

Courage arises from trusting in God’s goodness, and such trust is perfected in the love of Christ. We are never alone; the good plan the Lord has prepared for our lives is already open before us. Even when trials and difficulties come, entrusting everything to God and continuing to walk forward with confidence is true courage. I offer words of encouragement to all of you in the heart of Jesus Christ. Entrust everything to God and move forward with confidence. We are beloved children of the Lord, and within His grace there is no reason for fear. Do not be discouraged, do not be intimidated—rather, in God’s love alone, I ask you to carry out with confidence the noble mission entrusted to each of you.

I pray that throughout the year 2026, the Lord will remain with you always, and that His abundant grace and blessings may be poured out upon you.

January 1, 2026
 Standing Director, Catholic Educational Foundation
 Bishop Lee Kyung-sang, Paul