By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

St. Lazarus Village, Korea's first institution for Hansen patinets, has been on a 75-year journey. On June 2, 1950, just before the Korean War broke out, a small nursing home was established in Shingichon, Gwangmyeong-ri, Gyeonggi-do.

It was called St. Lazarus Sanatorium. It was named after Lazarus, the biblical Hansen's disease sufferer, and was the first Korean Catholic institution to be established for the treatment and independence of involuntary Hansen's disease patients.

It was founded by Monsignor George M. Carroll of the Maryknoll Foreign Missionaries of America (M.M.) He wanted to create a home for the marginalized in Korean society, and more than 800 Hansen people who had been abandoned by war, poverty, and discrimination gathered there.

The following year, in 1951, the village moved to Ojeon-ri, Bogae-myeon, Anseong City, Gyeonggi-do, and began to lay the foundation for a full-fledged welfare village.

In 1952, a young priest brought a turning point in the village's history. Father Lee Kyung-jae Alexander (the first director) dedicated 30 years of his life to the treatment, restoration of human rights, and self-reliance of the Hansen people at St. Lazarus Village.

He established a system of care that spanned medical, educational, spiritual, and cultural aspects, and dramatically expanded the village's base with the philosophy that “the mind must be healed before the body can be healed.”

In 1971, the Lazarus Support Society was founded to organize a nationwide network of sponsors in order to provide more stable support. Overseas support groups have been organized in the United States, Germany, and Japan, and the annual “In Your Presence” charity concert is the culmination of their efforts. The concert has been held 37 times, and has played a major role in helping people with Hansen's disease and their children in Korea and overseas.

Today, St. Lazarus Village is operated under the Catholic Church's Suwon Diocese Maintenance Foundation, and continues to provide care and sharing through its Hansen's shelter facility, the St. Lazarus Sponsorship Association, and its signature program, the charity concert "In Your Presence.”

The facility is staffed by professional social workers, nurses, and caregivers who support the treatment and life of the patients.

Over the course of 75 years, St. Lazarus Village has become more than just a nursing facility, but a symbol of restoring human dignity, a model of welfare, and a center for sharing. Having fought against social prejudice and indifference, it is now returning its love to society and sowing seeds of hope for other ‘Lazarus’ in the marginalized community.

As the late Father Lee Kyung-jae once said, “The seeds of our love will soon sprout,” and the love of St. Lazarus Village continues to grow today.