Andrea’s Retreat
wulijohyunjae | August 28, 2009 | 7:00 amIn Episode 7 of “Love Letter”, Andrea leaves Korea for Italy where he spends the next few years in a seminary training as a priest and as a doctor. The setting used for this Italian retreat is actually in Seoul — St. XXXXXX Village. (Please see our 8/9/09 post “Further adventures in JHJ country (3)”.)
It is a beautiful and peaceful place, and I would like to share more pictures with you. One part of it is called Aaron’s Retreat, but to me it is Andrea’s Retreat. As I mentioned in my 8/9/09 post, I took loads of pictures, everywhere where our JHJ might have left his footprints. Suddenly I discovered on a little hill somewhere a plaque: “Father Andrea’s house”! There is a date under his name: (1821 -1846). I don’t know whether that means Father Andrea lived there during these 25 years or whether he only lived such a short life. In any case, what a coincidence!
Let the pictures tell the story of this place.
Father Andrea’s house
If you like my photos, feel free to use them. But please credit: http://jo-hyun-jae.com
Dear WuliJHJ,
Thank you so much sharing precious infromation with us.
How beautiful it is! If it’s possible to know the address, I’d like to visit this place during my trip.
Beautiful and peaceful place indeed, they remind me so much of the convent I visit often with my family. They even have an outdoor Stations of the Cross depicted in stone.
In the past I always associated Korea with temples and monks instead of churches, priests and nuns, but because of Love Letter I found out that there are Roman Catholics in Korea. So I was no longer surprised when 2 years ago, our parish church had an exchange priest from Korea say mass in our parish (for 1 year, I think). He said mass in his Korean-accented English, it was very hard to understand him, but I gave him an A for effort! Good thing we have a misallete (it’s like a pamphlet where the gospel for the day is written), otherwise I would have been so lost!
Interesting thing about Father Andrea and his house in that particular place! Was it just coincidence that our HJ’s character took on that name or was it intentional on the part of the writer? Anyway, thanks for sharing the pictures!
Louise, write us at jhjfans@gmail.com and we’ll do our best for you.
prissymom, yes, this place has an outdoor Stations of the Cross carved in stone. I took pictures of all of them (just too many to post here.) They are sprinkled all over a little hill and are beautifully kept. At first I said a prayer at each station but in the end had to run to keep up with my companions who were not at all interested.
The place is peaceful and beautiful.
This place is awesome.. I’m hoping to see this in the near future. Thanks for sharing.