Prayer Ceremony for the victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster and for urging the government to collect those 9 not yet found persons from the ferry without damage

The Social Affairs and Labor Relations Committee of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism held the prayer ceremony at the group memorial altar prepared at the Paengmok harbor on 14 April 2016, two years after the accident happened. This prayer ceremony was to console the souls of the Sewol Ferry disaster and to urge the government to quickly save those 9 students still sunk in the ferry without damage. At the ceremony, about 40 people including Ven. Hyeyong, the chairman of the committee and 8 acting members, families of 9 students not yet found, and many other Buddhist monks and citizens who voluntarily joined from all across the country. Everybody collected their minds to make their earnest wish and prayers.

Paengmok Harbor is the nearest harbor to where the Sewol ferry disaster took place on 16 April 2014, two years ago from today. On the previous day, the ferry carried 476 passengers including the students of Danwon High School in Ansan City and departed Incheon at 9:00pm for Jeju Island. But the following morning at 8:48 am around Maenggol channel, it was sunk with only the front part of the hull visible over the sea. And two days later, the ferry was completely sunk to the bottom of the sea. 295 out of 304 passengers came back to the land as dead bodies, and 9 are still underwater. But the search operations ended in 210 days without saving them.

It’s the 2^nd spring since the tragedy but the disaster is still on-going. No proper investigation has not been done yet that the victims and bereaved families accept and agree. The salvage of the sunken ferry is not yet operated. Even if it is completed, no one is sure whether the truth can be revealed. Although the trial of captains and crew took place and ended, the suffering of the families has not ended.

At the ceremony, all joined in the chanting prayers of the Venerables, wrote their earnest wishes and sent them with the wish lanterns by flying them to the sky. All collected their minds for the innocent victims of the tragedy and for those sunk in the ferry to be saved soonest. The ceremony ended by calling out each dear name of the 9 students still missing.

Go Chang-seok, Yang Seung-jin, Jo Eun-hwa, Heo Da-yoon, Nam Hyun-cheol, Park Young-in, Gwon Jae-geun, Gwon Hyuk-gyu, and Lee Young-sook…!!!
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