Maria Jong-Duk Kim, born October 18, 1927, died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on the morning of January 31st, 2022. In the days leading up to her passing, Maria joked with her daughter, Angela, in English, an adopted language rarely spoken after her diagnosis of dementia a decade earlier. Maria spoke to her heart’s content about the full life she had led; the eight biological daughters she raised, and the many other sons and daughters she reared during her decades-long tenure as the director of multiple orphanages in South Korea.

There is a photograph of Maria, aged 50, sitting absurdly upright, riding horseback Western-style along a misty shore. She looks directly at the camera, unsmiling. She is confident and strong. Like her posture, her life was straight and true: as a wife, widowed too soon; a mother, seeking the best opportunities for (all) her children; a devout Catholic, serving as Pastoral Director for the Nok-dong Parish of South Korea and as a member of the Franciscan Order of Holy Angels, the Korean Catholic Church of Philadelphia.

Maria Kim dedicated her life to the service of others. She was awarded a lifetime achievement award for her work with orphans in her home-country. She donated her time and provided aid whenever she had the opportunity to visit a different country. At the height of the pandemic, Maria, then 92, volunteered with a campaign to make face coverings for first-responders. It was only after sorting through her personal items that we learned of many of her accolades. An incredibly humble woman, she would have been uncomfortable with these acknowledgements.

Maria Jong-Duk Kim’s legacy stretches over oceans and across continents. Born in a small village called Gwa-li on the coast of South Korea, she moved to the U.S. in 1980 and became a citizen April 11, 2002. She was predeceased by her husband, Sang-Yong Park and a young daughter, Serena. She is survived by an additional seven daughters, and countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her daughters are Edith Park of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Joanna Lee, of Seoul, South Korea; Angela Heo, Rosa Kim, Agatha Kang, and Bibiana Choi of Montgomery County, PA; and Theresa Baek of Charleston, SC. One of her life’s greatest ironies is that, in her attempt to have a son, she gave birth to eight daughters. And, all eight of her daughters bore sons! Her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren are strewn all over the world where Maria helped changed diapers, gave piggyback rides, and provided professional chopstick instruction.

Maria Kim’s passing marked the transition into the new year according to the lunar calendar. In the Asian zodiac, 2022 is the year of the tiger. The tiger represents strength, hope and courage. I cannot think of better qualities to carry us into the new year, and with which to honor her spirit. 

We will gather to celebrate and remember the life of Maria Jong-Duk Kim the morning of Saturday, February 5th at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Lansdale. We welcome donations in her name to St. Stanislaus, 51 Lansdale Avenue, Lansdale PA 19446.