On May 3, a blessing ceremony for the new CUK dormitory Andrea Hall was successfully held in front of the Andrea Hall. The event was led by a commemorative address from Fr. Luke Won Jong-chul, Ed.D., the President of the Catholic University of Korea. Soon followed celebratory remarks from His Eminence, Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung. Then, His Excellency Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taik, O.C.D., the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Seoul, gave congratulatory remarks to the university community as well as a word of appreciation for those help in making this building project possible. As a token of appreciation, he also gave the benefactors appreciatory and contributory plaques. After the group photos, the unveiling ceremonies for the memorial stone and Andrea Hall, and the tape-cutting ceremony, were followed in sequence. Finally, the ceremony was highlighted with the Rite of Blessings for the new building, presided by the Archbishop.
President Fr. Won said during the commemorative address, “With the new dormitory, there will be more opportunities for long-distance commuter students – along with the international students and those from provinces afar – to live on campus.” He also mentioned, “I hope the Andrea Hall offers a residential experience for cultivating friendships – sharing hopes and dreams, enjoying campus life together, and a safe and trusted living space – a home away from home where they can relax and recharge.”
Cardinal Yeom, the retired ordinary of the Archdiocese, remarked, “The Catholic University of Korea will play a significant role in supporting the Andrea Hall students as a unified community helping them to become the salt and light of the world in the future.”
In his congratulatory message, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick said, “Dormitories provide integrated life between individuals’ living experiences and university life. More dormitories would mean more integrated life settings for students. I hope this will result in more robust provisions for various gatherings, study groups, and club activities. All these would offer good academic ambience – eventually enhancing the overall quality of education as a whole.”
