On the evening of Feb. 10, Korean Catholics gathered at Korean Martyrs Catholic Mission, 115 N. Kedvale Ave., to celebrate Mass on the eve of Seollal, or Lunar New Year, during which they paid homage to their ancestors and asked for their intercessions.

The mission started over 50 years ago at Queen of Angels Church, 2230 W. Sunnyside Ave. Later members purchased their own worship site.

“We’re a very active community here, even though we are a very small community,” said Passionist Father Tu Jin Paul Kim, who leads the mission. “Our parishioners are mainly first-generation immigrants.”

For the Feb. 10 Mass, many people wore “hanbok,” or traditional Korean clothing. Mass included an ancestor ritual, something that also takes place on other major holidays such as Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving. In the ritual, participants honor those who have passed and thank them for the blessings they gave during their lifetimes.

For the ritual, cards with the names and photos of the ancestors lined the sanctuary steps. A small altar with traditional food as an offering to the ancestors was included in the sanctuary.

After the homily, members of the congregation filed up to the sanctuary and took turns lining up across the aisles for the “chamshin,” a greeting to the ancestors that includes two deep bows to the floor and one half bow.

Next, they offered incense and rice wine to the ancestors three times, a rite called “Kangshin.” The ceremony concluded with another chamshin.

Food is a large part of Lunar New Year celebrations, and the community celebrated following Mass with “hangwa,” or traditional Korean cookies, along with fruits and nuts that symbolize prosperity and good luck. On Sunday after Mass, parishioners ate “dduk-guk,” a rice-cake soup that is thought to bring good health and happiness for the coming year.

Christiana Choe was baptized at the mission and has since moved to Glenview. She continues to make the weekly journey to the city to worship at the mission with her family.

“I grew up within that community and see the importance of both being bilingual but having that sense of community and culture ingrained into what can seem to be very different from the American culture, and just being able to have that double perspective into this giant diaspora of Asian communities as well,” Choe said. “And just to be able to celebrate with folks in our own way.”

Her mother immigrated to the United States in the late 1970s, and her first stop was the Korean mission, said Choe, who cantors and plays the flute during liturgies.

“As a second-generation person coming up through the church, the mission has given me a sense of belonging as well,” she said. “All of the older adults have seen me grow up and are always happy to see me. It’s kind of like extended family.”