Kwangju archdiocese is to improve its pastoral care for migrant workers and overseas spouses by opening a new center that will house all its services under one roof.

The archdiocese’s social pastoral department will open the new four-story center on Sept. 8.

“Up to now all our various pastoral services and activities for migrants have been conducted from small offices in different places,” said Father Bonaventure Park Gong-shik, director of Migrants Pastoral.

“More migrants are coming to Korea, so we will have more work to do,” he told ucanews.com.

“This means we need more space for these migrants," he added.

The center will support migrant workers in their faith, offer counseling on labor problems, provide medical help and social activities. It will also offer Korean language classes, skills training and lessons on Korean culture for overseas spouses.

Programs for single-parent families and families with disabled members will also be conducted there, Father Park said.

“The center will enable our archdiocese to offer a more complete welfare system for migrants and will help improve migrant pastoral activities,” he said.

Tags: overseas spouses, Father Bonaventure Park Gong-shik, Migrants Pastoral, social pastoral department

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