Dain Catholic Church

History & origins

Dain Parish was elevated and separated from a mission station under Gunwi Parish in the Diocese of Daegu on May 25, 1961. At the time, the location of a new parish serving several townships around Dain and Angye was a local issue. The first pastor, Fr. Kim Gyu-tae Timothy, stayed at the Dain mission station, while Catholics in the Dain area worked to secure land and raise funds, creating the practical foundation for the parish.

In 1962, several mission stations in parts of Sangju County and the Pungyang area of Yecheon were incorporated into Dain Parish, broadening its pastoral territory. That same year the parish secured land and moved ahead with construction of a church, which was dedicated the following year, giving the community a stable central place of worship. In 1966 a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was installed to commemorate the centenary of the Byeongin Persecution. When the Diocese of Andong was established on May 29, 1969, Dain Parish was transferred from the Diocese of Daegu to the new diocese.

The parish continued to improve its facilities as rural society changed. An access road to the church was acquired in 1978, a new rectory was built the following year, and a parish cemetery was purchased in 1983. Construction of a new church began in 1985, and the building was dedicated on April 1, 1986, together with celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the parish. In 1988 the parish completed a facility called “House of Sharing.” These facilities helped provide a stable foundation for the community’s long-term presence in the area.

This history shows how Dain developed from a mission station into a parish serving multiple rural mission communities and then took its place within the structure of the newly established Diocese of Andong. The present church reflects that accumulated growth of the community and successive efforts to renew its facilities.