Lim Hyung-joo to sing 'Ave Maria' at the funeral Mass for Choi Bool-am, whom he called his 'uncle'

[Financial News] A song by popera tenor Lim Hyung-joo will ring out as the late actor Choi Bool-am makes his final journey.
According to people in cultural circles on the 31st, Lim is scheduled to sing “Ave Maria” at the funeral Mass to be held on Nov. 2 at Yeouido Catholic Church in Seoul. In song, he will bid farewell to the deceased, who had come to see him perform whenever he took the stage.
The two are said to have shared a bond like family. Lim called Choi and his wife, Kim Min-ja, “uncle” and “aunt,” respectively, and the couple reportedly supported him by attending his solo recitals. After hearing of Choi’s death, Lim mourned him, saying he had not known that the exchange of greetings during his hospital visit a few months earlier would be their last.
Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, who will celebrate the funeral Mass, is also said to have had a longstanding relationship with Choi. The cardinal baptized him in 2018, and Choi chose “Francis” as his baptismal name, after the saint of Assisi who served those in need. On Oct. 20, shortly before Choi’s death, the cardinal visited him in the hospital and administered the Anointing of the Sick. He will also preside over the funeral Mass.
“Ave Maria,” which Lim will sing, is one of his signature pieces. Lim also performed it in 2023 when he had a special audience with Pope Francis during the pope’s visit to Mongolia. The song’s ringing out at Choi’s final Mass is expected to be Lim’s farewell to someone who had cherished his singing for many years.
Choi’s funeral procession will depart from the funeral hall at Asan Medical Center at 7:40 a.m. on Nov. 2. After a funeral Mass at Yeouido Catholic Church at 9 a.m., the procession is expected to go via ChildFund Korea, where Choi had served as chair of its nationwide supporters’ association, before he is laid to rest at Donghwa Gyeongmo Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. 

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