Fr. Marcello Baek (born in 1964) joined the Salesian Congregation after his Master Degree Studies in Microbial Engineering. He made his Novitiate in the community of Jeong Rim Dong and the first religious Profession in1993. After practical training in Ilgokdong community, he was sent to Italy for Specific Formation (Gerini) and got ordained to the priesthood in 2001.
He continued his studies in UPS for Licentiate in Youth Ministry and returned to his Province in 2003, taking different responsibilities in the Province as Master of Novices (2004-2005), Delegate for Formation (2004-2007; 2015-2019), Delegate for Youth Ministry (2006-2015; 2023-preset), Delegate for Salesian Family (2022-2023) and Vice-Provincial (2014-2023). He was asked to assume these responsibilities at Provincial level with the role of leadership in local communities such as the Provincial House, Daerim dong, Don Bosc Youth Center, Secretary, president of vocational school, etc.
“The Salesian Family in the world join the confreres and Salesian Family in Korea to pray for his leadership. We believe that he will bring such wide and rich experiences in formation and youth ministry into his animation and governance of the Province” Fr Joseph Nguyen Thinh Phuoc, SDB, Regional Councillor for East Asia-Oceania.
Currently, the Salesians of the Province of Korea are working in 6 Dioceses with one large regular school, and 3 alternative schools (admitting the young for special high school program) and a number of youth Centers which offer various services to the young in need of psychological accompaniment and treatment. Even though the Province is serving only one Parish and one school, it has a great number of Salesian Cooperators who are very active in their parishes and work-places. These works target the left-behind and problematic young people. With Salesian Preventive System, the Salesians and their lay mission partners accompany these young and bring them back to the family, the school and the society as good and productive persons well as good Christians. In such a way, God blesses regularly the Province with vocations when the young volunteers witness under their eyes the transformation of those “Magone” into “Savio” boys.
Also, for the last decade, the Province has been very generous in solidarity with other Salesian Provinces and the Congregation, attending to the needs of the missions abroad and responding to them with effective means.
“May God bless Fr. Marcello Baek to continue the journey God is calling him and his confreres as He called Fr. John Lee SDB, the youth apostle with the smiles we saw in the documentary film ‘Don’t Cry for me, Tonj (Sudan)!’” Fr Thinh Phuoc states.
