Daegu archdiocese in South Korea has celebrated its centenary anniversary Mass. Some 30,000 Catholics participated in the Mass yesterday, presided over by Archbishop Thaddeus Cho Hwan-kil of Daegu. During the Mass, Archbishop Cho said "At this moment that we take a step towards the next 100 years, we should promise to promote 'new evangelization' in the archdiocese and practise true love." He thanked God for the amazing grace He has given the archdiocese, and also laity, Religious and priests for their contribution to its growth. After his homily, Catholics offered their spiritual sacrifice for the anniversary, like the archdiocese's 100 year history and the recommendations of the second archdiocesan synod that Archbishop Cho opened last April. Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI has sent a congratulatory message, praying that God's words and grace bear abundant fruit through this ceremony. During the ceremony, Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul wished the archdiocese further growth in the future on the basis of the past 100 years. Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, apostolic nuncio to Korea, also advised them that the evangelization would be facilitated when they fulfill their mission that Christ is asking. In the celebration, Korean bishops including Bishop Peter Kang U-il, president of the Korean bishops' conference, and representatives from Salzburg archdiocese in Austria, Taichung diocese in Taiwan and Nagasaki diocese in Japan also participated. Daegu archdiocese was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1911 and elevated to an archdiocese in 1962. As at the end of 2010, the archdiocese had 458,128 Catholics, 10.2 percent of the local population, and 427 priests in 156 parishes and 79 mission stations. KO14232