By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor
Members of the Church of the Korean Martyrs in Trenton rang in the Lunar New Year with a celebration that blended their Asian heritage with their Catholic faith.
The Lunar New Year of the Horse observance began with a Mass celebrated by Father Dae Hyeok Son, a Korean priest who ministers to the community, with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., serving as homilist. The Mass was celebrated at Trenton’s St. Michael Church, where the Korean community rents the rectory and uses the parish hall.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2026 Lunar New Year celebration
Though the actual date of this year’s Lunar New Year was Feb. 18, the Mass was celebrated Feb. 15. Afterward, the Bishop and parishioners dined on Korean fare and played traditional games.
New Year Blessings
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reflected on the day’s readings, including Psalm 119, which he said presented a “perfect New Year’s prayer”: “Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law. … Give me discernment, that I may keep your law with all my heart.”
“In Korean families, elders often give words of wisdom at the New Year table – simple but profound guidance for the year ahead,” Bishop O’Connell said. “The psalm is God’s New Year advice to us: Walk in my ways, and you will find blessing.”
Referring to the reading from St. Paul, the Bishop told them: “Korean culture has a deep respect for hidden wisdom – the wisdom of grandparents, the wisdom of quiet endurance, the wisdom of ‘han’ transformed into hope. Paul tells us that God’s wisdom is like that – quiet, deep, and revealed only to those who listen with the heart.”
Based on the readings, Bishop O’Connell wished them Lunar New Year blessings of “wise choices … deep wisdom … and renewed hearts.”
About Lunar New Year
Parishioner Matthew Lee explained that the Koreans traditionally celebrate the first lunar month as a holiday called “Seollal” (new year).
“’Seol’ is the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. It is also used as a general term for ceremonies and games held at the start of the year,” he said. “In Korea, during Seollal, multiple generations gather to celebrate a new beginning, wish good fortunes, honor ancestors and respect elders. But in the U.S., most first-generation Koreans consist of immediate families, while extended families remain back home. Korean communities in the U.S. celebrate ‘Seollal’ as a means of keeping the tradition alive and passing it down to younger generations.”
Lee said the food and fruit table displayed in front of the altar was an ancestral ritual prepared on the morning of “Seollal” and is symbolic of expressing gratitude to one’s ancestors. The display also announces the arrival of a new season and offers the best food in a brief ceremonial rite that includes the lighting of incense. Bowing signifies gratitude and remembrance for ancestors while also praying to God for their souls, he added.
Fun and Games
After dinner, the community played two traditional Korean games. Yut Nori, a board game commonly played during major holidays, is a team-based game in which players throw four wooden “yut sticks” instead of rolling dice. The objective is to move the yut sticks around the board and return them to the starting/finish point before the opposing team does.
“It’s similar to Monopoly,” Lee said.
Jegichagi involves players kicking a “jegi” – a small object made by wrapping paper or cloth around a coin – into the air, then trying to keep it from touching the ground. Players usually kick the jegi with the inside of the foot, “making it a physical activity that helps develop concentration and balance,” Lee explained.
Bishop O’Connell presented monetary gifts to parishioners who performed the New Year’s Bow as an act of showing respect to one’s elder.
“We were thrilled to celebrate and share our culture, especially given how multicultural the Trenton Diocese is,” Lee said.
Historical Perspective
The Church of the Korean Martyrs in Trenton is one of two communities that serve Korean Catholics in the Diocese; the other is Immaculate Conception Church, Eatontown.
Korean Martyrs is a personal parish for Korean Catholics. There are 87 registered families with 15 children in the religious education program for 2025-2026. Father Son was assigned to serve the community by the Bishop of the Diocese of, Korea. Bishop O’Connell welcomed Father Son to the Diocese in August 2022.
