Dain Catholic Church

Overview

Dain Church is a church belonging to the Andong Diocese, located in Seoreung-ri, Dain-myeon, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. On May 25, 1961, it was elevated and separated from a Catholic mission chapel under Gunwi Parish into a parish, and its patron is Saint Bernard. It is a rural parish that carried out farmers’ pastoral care and Catholic Farmers’ Association activities in the 1980s.

History

[Beginning of the faith community] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the history of the faith community in the Dain area began when Kim Si-jong, from the Darae Catholic mission chapel in Jungdong-myeon, Sangju-gun, moved to Dain-myeon in 1948. Around 1952, at Kim Si-jong’s urging, his elder sister Kim Ok-sun (Marina) and her husband moved in, and Kim Ok-sun brought Kwon Tae-seon and Kang Mal-nim of this village to the Darae Catholic mission chapel and had them receive baptism from Father Shin Hyeon-ok (Cyril) of Yecheon Parish. In this way, in 1953, the first baptized persons in Dain-myeon were produced. They gathered at the photo studio run by Kim Si-jong to offer Catholic mission chapel rites, and received relief flour and corn, which were relief goods of the Catholic Relief Association (NCWC), from Toegang Parish (now a Catholic mission chapel under Hamchang Parish) and distributed them to residents while evangelizing. The Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia writes that, as there had been a Catholic mission chapel in Ssangho-ri, Ansa-myeon since before the Byeongin Persecution in 1866, evangelization in Dain-myeon is presumed to have started from there, while actual preaching of the Gospel began with Kim Si-jong’s move in 1948 and the move of his sister Kim Ok-sun, who lived in Yecheon, in 1952, and the family of Kang Mal-lim and Kwon Tae-seon received baptism. The same source writes that what contributed most to evangelization in Dain was the relief goods of the International Catholic Relief Association (NCWC), explaining that when flour and corn brought by small cart from Sangju Toegang Church were distributed, the number of believers grew to more than 30.

[Catholic mission chapel period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, after the Dain Catholic mission chapel was established in 1957, a chapel building became necessary, so with support from Toegang Parish, the old brewery building in Seoreung 1-dong, a 2-story wooden building, was purchased and remodeled, using the 1 floor as a relief-goods storage warehouse and the 2 floor as a place for rites. The Hagwang Catholic mission chapel, established in the same year, obtained old timber from Toegang Parish in 1959 and built a chapel building, but a person claiming that his ancestor’s grave was on the chapel site appeared and dug up the wooden floor; because of this incident the number of lapsed Catholics increased, and in the end it suffered the trial of handing over the chapel building to Protestants. The Catholic mission chapels in the Dain area were incorporated into Uiseong Parish in 1959 and then, 1 later, transferred again to Gunwi Parish. The Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia writes that Toegang Parish established the Dain Catholic mission chapel in 1957, began Catholic mission chapel rites at the house of Lee Dae-il, and purchased the building that had been used as a brewery in 1958.

[Establishment of the parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on May 25, 1961, the Daegu Diocese established a parish in Angye with jurisdiction over 7 townships—Dain-myeon, Angye-myeon, Gucheon-myeon, Danmil-myeon, Sinpyeong-myeon, Bian-myeon and Danbuk-myeon—and appointed Father Kim Gyu-tae (Timothy) as the first parish priest. However, as Father Kim could not reside in the poor chapel in Angye, he repaired the 1 floor of the Dain Catholic mission chapel to use as a rectory and came to stay in Dain; the Dain believers, who had planned to attract the parish, began securing a parish site and raising a new-building fund, and for a time experienced conflict with Angye believers over attracting the parish. After it was decided to bring the parish to Dain, in April 1962 the Catholic mission chapels in Sangju-gun and Pungyang-myeon were incorporated into Dain Parish, and on April 28 of that year construction of a church began on the parish site that had been purchased, and it was blessed the following year. The Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia writes that efforts to visit the Daegu diocesan office to explain feasibility and collect donations bore fruit, so that in 1961 Dain Church was born, and after completing the purchase of the site in 1962, in 1963 the parish building, rectory and dining hall were built.

[1960–70s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a statue of the Virgin Mary commemorating the 100 anniversary of the Byeongin martyrdom was enshrined in 1966, and on May 29, 1969, with the establishment of the Andong Diocese, its affiliation changed from the Waegwan Vicariate of the Daegu Diocese to the Andong Diocese. In February 1971, as the Geumgok Catholic mission chapel in Sinpyeong-myeon was incorporated into Uiseong-gun, it came under the jurisdiction of the parish, and in August of the same year the Susan and Sangwang Catholic mission chapels were newly built and the Hyoje Catholic mission chapel and the Ssangho Catholic mission chapel (now belonging to Angye Parish) were repaired. On September 15, 1972, the Angye Catholic mission chapel was elevated and separated into a parish. On August 10, 1975, the Sinsan Catholic mission chapel and, on May 30, 1976, the Sanseong Catholic mission chapel were newly built respectively, in January 1978 the entrance access road to the parish was purchased, and in December of the following year a rectory was newly built.

[After the 1980s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on February 28, 1981, the Mirror of Justice Praesidium was founded, and in January 1983 a parish community cemetery was purchased. On June 17, 1985, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new church was held, cutting away a hillside of more than 6 thousand pyeong to build a detour road to the church and completing a single-story church (127 pyeong) on a site of more than 400 pyeong, and on April 1, 1986, it was blessed by Bishop Du Bong together with a celebration of the 25 anniversary of the parish’s establishment. In November 1988, the ‘House of Sharing’ was completed. In 1989, the Sanggwang Catholic mission chapel was blessed, and in July 1992, as the four Catholic mission chapels in Pungyang-myeon—Gongdeok, Pungdeok, Hyoje and Susan—became difficult to maintain because of rural depopulation, the four chapels were merged to newly establish the township-level Pungyang Catholic mission chapel. Considering that most local residents were elderly and more than 80% were illiterate, the Pungyang Catholic mission chapel opened a Korean- and Chinese-character school in December 1992 and an English school in May of the next year. The Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia writes that the Sillak Catholic mission chapel was newly built on December 18, 1984, the old church was demolished on May 26, 1985, to build a new sanctuary, and the Pungyang Catholic mission chapel was newly built on July 17, 1992. The same source writes that in 1998 the Virgin Mary Daycare Center was completed, in 1999 a cultural center was newly built, and in 2011 the ‘Annals of Dain Parish: 50 Years’ was published.

[Farmers’ pastoral care] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, centered on the Dain regional council of the Catholic Farmers’ Association inaugurated on January 30, 1983, Dain Parish took part in collective actions such as the cattle-drive protest over the plunge in cattle prices in July 1985, the struggle over in-kind payments to the farmland improvement association in December of the same year, and the march against imported foreign tobacco and imported agricultural and livestock products in September 1986, and continued its role as a rural parish through annual harvest thanksgiving feasts and Masses praying for a good harvest. The Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia writes that Father Ryu Gang-ha (Peter), who was appointed as the 9 parish priest, decided to carry out farmers’ pastoral care, held a harvest thanksgiving feast and Gyeongsangbuk-do farmers’ rally attended by 1,500 people in 1984, launched the parish farming association in 1985, and carried out the ‘cattle-drive protest’ on July 12, 1985, and the struggle over in-kind payment of farmland improvement association dues on December 8. It continues that the pharmacy of Kim Hak-jin, the parish pastoral council president, was suspended from business on January 19, 1986, that on July 9, 1986, there was an incident in which middle and high school students attending the parish had their faith infringed upon by their schools, and that on September 3, 1986, parish farmer members who held a protest march were taken to the Andong police station. In response, the Justice and Peace Committee of the Andong Diocese and parents each issued statements. These activities continued into the early 1990s, so that in 1991 the parish hosted a ‘Prayer Meeting for an End to Authoritarian Rule and for Democratization’ organized by the Uiseong district pastoral council and held a peaceful candlelight march; afterwards the farmers’ movement changed into a movement to save farmers and a direct-trade movement for domestic farm products, and in 1994 ‘Our Farm Products’ was created.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] The church statistics recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 1,775 persons in 1970, 1,707 persons in 1975, 1,591 persons in 1980, 1,506 persons in 1985, 1,446 persons in 1990, and 1,488 persons in 1994. The successive pastors are the first Kim Gyu-tae Timothy (1961.5–1964.4), the 2 Jo Sang-ik Peter (1964.4–1965.6), the 3 Jeong Hak-mo Luke (1965.6–1966.12), the 4 Lee Gil-jun Paul (1966.12–1970.1), the 5 Jeong Ho-gyeong Ludovicus (1970.1–1972.8), the 6 Dok (R. Doc, Park) Rogerius (1972.8–1979.5), the 7 Lee Sang-bok Pius (1979.5–1983.2), the 8 Bahillo (P. Bahillo, Bang Il-hyeon) Paul (1983.2–1984.1), the 9 Ryu Gang-ha Peter (1984.3–1988.7), the 10 Jeong Hui-uk Andrew (1988.7–1992.6), the 11 Kwon Sang-mok John (1992.6–1995.7), and the 12 Hwang Jae-mo Anselm (1995.7–). According to the Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia, 1 priests and 3 sisters have served, the total number of faithful on the church register is 990, and under it are the Sinsan, Sillak, Sanggwang and Gondae Catholic mission chapels.

Architecture and Space

According to the Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia, the church stands on a hill immediately behind the township office, overlooking the whole of Dain-myeon at a glance, and this site was originally a community cemetery. In 1962 the purchase of the site was completed, and in 1963 the parish building, rectory and dining hall were built. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that a single-story church (127 pyeong), built after demolishing the old church in 1985, was blessed on April 1, 1986.

Related Places and People

• Angye Church: On September 15, 1972, the Angye Catholic mission chapel under Dain Parish was elevated and separated into a parish and established (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sabeol-Toegang Church (former Toegang Parish): It is the parish that supported the establishment of the Dain Catholic mission chapel and conveyed relief goods (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia).
• Gunwi Parish: It is the parish to which the Dain Catholic mission chapel belonged before it was elevated to a parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sinsan, Sillak, Sanggwang and Gondae Catholic mission chapels: Catholic mission chapels recorded by the Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia as under Dain Church.
• Pungyang Catholic mission chapel: A chapel newly established in 1992 by merging the four Catholic mission chapels in Pungyang-myeon—Gongdeok, Pungdeok, Hyoje and Susan (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Dain Parish” (volume 3). Beginning of the faith community, Catholic mission chapel period, parish establishment in 1961, new church construction, changes of Catholic mission chapels, farmers’ pastoral care, church statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1197
2. Korea Studies Central Research Institute, Digital Uiseong Culture Encyclopedia “Dain Church”. Circumstances of evangelization, chapel establishment in 1957, parish establishment in 1961, buildings in 1963, farmers’ movement in the 1980s and blessing in 1986, present state.
   https://www.grandculture.net/uiseong/toc/GC05201423
3. Andong Diocese, diocesan status “Order of parish establishment”. Date of establishment of Dain Parish: May 25, 1961.
   https://www.acatholic.or.kr/sub1/sub1_4.asp
4. GoodNews, Korean Catholic address book list of Andong Diocese parishes. Date of establishment of Dain Parish: May 25, 1961.
   https://m.catholic.or.kr/web/addr/sResultList.asp?gubun=4&gubun2=&gyogu=201000025&search=