Angelus News | May 31, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 20

Louis Sung
Age: 28
Hometown: Cerritos
Home parish: St. Raphael Korean Catholic Center,
Norwalk
First Mass: 12 p.m., Sunday, June 2, at St. Raphael
First parish assignment: St. Peter Claver Church,
Simi Valley
Favorite hobby: Basketball
VICTOR ALEMÁN
Call it a leap, a jump, or a step: All Deacon Louis Sung
knew was, he had to take it in order to find out what
God wanted for his life.
The 28-year-old was born to Korean immigrant parents
in Long Beach, both of them devout Catholics. Between
attending St. Raphael Korean Catholic Center in Norwalk
with them and listening to stories of saints and biblical figures
from his mother, something began to stir in him.
During college, “the vocation kept going up and down,”
Sung recalled. During his senior year at UC Riverside, while
his classmates were applying for jobs and making plans for
the future, he knew he had to make “the jump” into the
seminary.
“I always felt like there was a calling from God,” said Sung.
“And here I am, six years later.”
That meant turning down the chance to teach English to
schoolchildren in Korea for a year — a popular choice for
many bilingual Korean-American college graduates. It also
meant foregoing marriage. In Sung’s words, his vocation
meant he wasn’t “going to get married to another person, but
to the whole Church.”
Sung said that he’s preparing for his ordination to the priesthood
expecting plenty of “bumps” along the way, but certain
that God will help him.
“It’s probably bumpier than if I chose the easy way out, and
just did what I thought I wanted to do. But by going on this
path I have faith that this is what God made me for,” said
Sung. “This is where I’ll be happiest.”
After years of formation and discernment, he said he most
looks forward to his new mission as an “instrument” of God
through the sacraments.
“I feel like I’m a nobody, I’m a nothing, but God is still
choosing to use me as a tool, especially for celebrating Mass,”
Sung told Angelus News. “That’s something that I’m really
Louis Sung with his brother Eugene after winning the UCLA Kyrie Eleison
basketball tournament.
looking forward to.”
He also expects God to use him to minister in a special way
to the young people he encounters.
“If I’m present, encouraging young people to go to Church,
not shoving Jesus down their throats, but just being present,
leading by example — that would be a good way to start
ministering to younger people,” Sung said.
Sung’s first assignment will be at St. Peter Claver Church in
Simi Valley. His message for his new parishioners?
“Please be patient with me, I’m new! I’ll do my best to love
you guys and bring Jesus to you guys.”
LOUIS SUNG
14 • ANGELUS • May 31, 2019