Novice Hang Geum Augustine Oh, O.S.B. Makes First Vows
On 15 August 2023, Novice Hang Geum Augustine Oh (47) professed his first vows as a Benedictine monk. A native of Seoul, South Korea, Augustine grew up in a Confucian and Buddhist society. At the age of 7, he was received into the Catholic Church, along with his entire family.
In 2004, while volunteering at the Athens Olympic Games as an interpreter of Korean-English, he observed that South Korea did not have expert lawyers in sports arbitration—and he decided to do something about that. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in law (Seoul National University), a master’s in international arbitration (University of Miami School of Law), and a juris doctor degree (Chung-Ang University, Seoul). More recently, he ran his own business as a consultant for a Korean battery company for all-electric vehicles.
While enrolled in a liturgical music program at Saint John’s School of Theology, Augustine felt God was calling him to monastic life. “I am interested in monastic life,” he says, “because I feel that God created me to give glory to God. Whenever I have asked what the ultimate way to seek God is, the answers have included the monastic life.” Seeking the mercy of God, he feels, is a means of solving “various issues of life and to get answers from various questions of life.” He is especially drawn to the ecumenical spirit of Saint John’s: “I have observed that the abbey practices it by welcoming and integrating others of various religious backgrounds into our liturgy as brothers under Jesus Christ.” Brother Augustine continues his discernment while serving as assistant abbey refectorian and Spiritual Life Program coordinator.