SISTER MICHAELA KIM
SISTER MICHAELA KIM
Former Board Member
Sister Michaela followed Father Schwartz from Korea all the way to the Philippines
When two Koreans meet, three of them are called “Park” or “Kim” – as Koreans themselves joke about the nation’s most common last name. Sister Michaela is a Kim, her birth name is Kim Ok Soon.
She was born on February 3rd, 1942 in Weesong Kun, in the province of Buk. She has four elder sisters. Her parents are no longer alive. Her schooling coincided with the war in Korea. In 1956, she left the “Choyang Middle School” with a certificate of undergraduate studies. Sister Michaela speaks Korean and English. She has been a member of the Congregation since 1963.
For five years, from 1965 to 1970, she worked in the “Sisters of Mary” hospital in Pusan, and for the next five years she worked as a superior in the administration of the hospital. In his country, she was honored several times for her commitment to social causes. In 1972, the Minister of Public Health rewarded her for her work in the hospital for the poor. In 1984, the government decorated her again.
She belongs to the small group of Korean Sisters who followed Father Schwartz in the Philippines in 1984. A year later, he entrusted her with the handling of all the institutions of the Sisters of Mary in that country. Just before his death, he entrusted Sister Michaela with his legacy: “Just like I did, she manager very well in regards to the finances, staff, expansion and establishments as well as everything else – whether it is important or not that important. She will take my place when I am no longer here. ”
Sister Michaela continued her mandate until 2012, before handing the leadership over to Sister Maria Cho.