Uljin Catholic Church

Overview

Uljin Church is a church in Eupnae-ri, Uljin-eup, Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, belonging to the Diocese of Andong. It began in May 1957 as the Uljin Catholic mission chapel of Samcheok Parish in the Diocese of Chuncheon and was elevated to a parish on May 24, 1958; its patron is the Queen of Martyrs, and its first pastor was Father Leo Clarke (Jeong) of the Columban Fathers.

History

[Beginning of the faith community] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia dates the first documented settlement of the faithful in Uljin to the Sinyu Persecution of 1801 and records that the households of the brothers Kim Gang-i (Simon) and Kim Thaddeus, who had fled persecution from Chungcheong-do, lived in the Meorusan Catholic village and then moved to live in Uljin (Galjeon in Wangpiri, Seomyeon). It says this area was a remote mountainous coastal region where the main ridge of the Taebaek Mountains runs down along the East Sea coast, and, judging from the nearby Gomjigi Catholic village in Bonghwa and the Gotjeong Catholic village below Uryeonbat, the faithful are presumed to have continued to live there even during the persecutions. The Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia also records that a faith community was formed as faithful who moved from Chungcheong-do to Eupnae-ri in Uljin-eup to escape persecution settled there during the Sinyu Persecution of 1801.

[Elevation to parish] According to both sources, it started in May 1957 as the Uljin Catholic mission chapel of Samcheok Parish in the Diocese of Chuncheon, and on May 24, 1958 it was elevated to a parish, with Father Leo Clarke (L. Clarke, Jeong) of the Columban Fathers appointed as first pastor. The Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records that at that time a church was newly built on a site of 4,290 square meters comprising lot 574 in Eupnae-ri, Uljin-eup and 3 additional parcels. The jurisdiction at the time covered Uljin-myeon, Buk-myeon, Seo-myeon, Geunnam-myeon, Wonnam-myeon, Giseong-myeon, Yeonghae-myeon and Onjeong-myeon in Uljin-gun. In the order of parish foundations on the Andong Diocese website, Uljin is 9 in order and its foundation date is May 24, 1958. Father James Murphy (J. Murphy, Jeon), who became 2 pastor in September 1960, requested help from the Korea branch of Catholic Relief Services (N.C.W.C.) when a fire in Uljin left about 500 displaced persons, and received 10 tons of flour (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia). The Catholicism entry of the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records that the first pastor Father Leo Clarke served until mid-April 1960 and Father Murphy became 2 pastor in April 1960.

[Change of diocesan affiliation] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1965 Uljin Parish was transferred from the Diocese of Chuncheon to the Diocese of Wonju, and at that time Father No Se-hyeon took office as 5 pastor as the first Korean priest of Uljin Parish. On May 29, 1969, when the Diocese of Andong was separated and erected from the Diocese of Daegu, it was incorporated into the Diocese of Andong (the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia agrees).

[Activities in the 1980s and the new church] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that on October 15, 1980 the first praesidium of the parish, Mother of Humanity, was founded and on December 7 of the same year the parish bulletin Catholic Uljin was first published. Because the old church building had aged and because of the city plan, a church construction committee was formed on May 18, 1984, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 10, 1985, and on January 9 of the following year the church and rectory were completed and dedicated in a ceremony presided over by Bishop René Dupont, the first Bishop of Andong. The Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records the same project as begun on September 10, 1985 and completed on June 29, 1986. It records that the newly built church and rectory totaled 256 pyeong in size, with 2 thousand 4 million won in donations from parishioners, 1 thousand 2 million won in donations from faithful elsewhere, 6 million won from self-raised funds, and 1 hundred million 4 ten million won in subsidies from the Diocese of Andong. On October 23, 1987 a Sister of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul was dispatched to the parish (the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records 3 Sisters).

[Mission chapels and Hupo Parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a dedication Mass for the Jukbyeon Catholic mission chapel was held on April 25, 1988 (the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records that the deteriorated old Jukbyeon mission chapel was demolished in August 1987 and the Jukbyeon mission chapel was newly built in April 1988), and an East Sea district Acies ceremony was held on March 25, 1990. On September 27, 1992 the St. Vincent de Paul Association was founded. In the same year, on December 16, land for the Buk-myeon mission chapel was purchased, a groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held on November 8, 1996, a blessing presided over by Bishop Park Seok-hee (Ignatius), the 2 Bishop of Andong, was held on May 4, 1998, and in October 1999 the Buk-myeon mission chapel was elevated to a quasi-parish. The Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records that on July 5, 1991 the Hupo mission chapel, then belonging to the parish, was elevated to a parish.

[Opposition to the nuclear waste site in 1991–1992 and afterwards] According to the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia, a sit-in against the installation of a nuclear waste site was held on December 29, 1991, and on December 31 a meeting of the East Sea district priests concerning the nuclear waste site was held and a priests’ statement was issued. On January 3, 1992 the position of the diocesan priests on the nuclear waste site was announced and an open letter of inquiry to the Commissioner General of Police was issued. In October 2006, with the cooperation of the Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital medical volunteer team, a temporary clinic was set up on the 2 floor of the church and free medical service was provided to about 300 residents. A thanksgiving Mass for the 50th anniversary of the foundation was held on May 24, 2008, and as of 2016 the pastor is listed as Father An Sang-gi (Michael). In the church, the pastoral council, choir, Sunday school, association for fostering vocations, Marian Association, Vincent de Paul group, Curia, Eucharistic Adoration group, liturgical committee, Association for the Deceased and others are active, and parent education, women’s Cursillo education and a farm produce store are operated.

[Jurisdiction, statistics and successive pastors] The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is Uljin-eup, Buk-myeon, Jukbyeon-myeon, Seo-myeon, Geunnam-myeon and Wonnam-myeon in Uljin-gun. Church statistics are 700 in 1973, 761 in 1977, 944 in 1981, 1,318 in 1985, 1,643 in 1989, 1,364 in 1993, 1,686 in 1997, and 1,526 in 2000. Successive pastors are: first, Leo Clarke (Jeong) (1958.5–1960.9); 2, James Murphy (Jeon) (1960.9–1963.11); 3, Michael O’Loughlin (M. O’loughlin, O) (1963.11–1964.1); 4, Gerardo Ellis (G. Ellis, Eom) (1964.1–1968.11); 5, No Se-hyeon Mathias (1968.11–1969.5); 6, Choe Dong-o Athanasius (1969.5–1970.10); 7, Armel Durand (A. Durand, Na) (1970.10–1977.12); acting, Jo Chang-rae Vincent de Paul (1977.12–1978.4); 8, Ludovico Feuvrier (L. Feuvrier, Heo) (1978.4–1984.1); 9, John Bideau (J. Bideau, Do) (1984.1–1994.1); 10, Jeong Hui-wan John (1994.1–1996.6); acting, Lee Seong-gil Paul (1996.6–9); 11, Jeong Il Gabriel (1996.9–1999.2); 12, Lee Sang-bok Pius (1999.2–). The Catholicism entry of the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records that Father Na Seong-do (Armeldo) became 7 pastor in 1970, Father Bae Se-yeong (Marcello) became 8 pastor on January 27, 1977, Father Jo Chang-rae (Vincenzo) became 9 pastor on December 29, 1977, Father Heo Jin-seop (Ludovico) became 10 pastor on April 1, 1978, and Father Do Gwang-ju (John) became 11 pastor on January 9, 1984, differing in numbering. The church entry of the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia records that Father Jeong Hui-wan was appointed as 12 pastor on January 18, 1994, while the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia counts Father Jeong Hui-wan as 10.

Architecture and Space

According to the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia, at the elevation to parish in 1958 a church was newly built on a site of 4,290 square meters comprising lot 574 in Eupnae-ri and 3 additional parcels, and the new church and rectory begun on September 10, 1985 totaled 256 pyeong in size. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the dedication of the church and rectory completed on January 9, 1986 was presided over by Bishop Dupont (the Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia gives completion as June 29, 1986).

Related Places and People

• Samcheok Parish (now Seongnae-dong Parish): the parish in the Diocese of Chuncheon to which the Uljin mission chapel belonged in May 1957 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Jukbyeon mission chapel: the mission chapel under the parish, dedicated and newly built in April 1988 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Buk-myeon mission chapel (later Buk-myeon quasi-parish): blessed in May 1998 and elevated to a quasi-parish in October 1999 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Hupo mission chapel: elevated to a parish on July 5, 1991 (Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Seomyeon mission chapel: a mission chapel under its jurisdiction in Samgeun-ri, Geumgangsong-myeon (Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Korea branch of Catholic Relief Services (N.C.W.C.): aided 10 tons of flour for fire victims in Uljin in 1960 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul: dispatched Sisters to the parish in October 1987 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Uljin Parish” (vol. 9). Elevation to parish on May 24, 1958, patron, jurisdiction, statistics, successive pastors, beginning of the faith community, change of diocesan affiliation, dedication of the new church, founding of mission chapels.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4789
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia “Catholic Uljin Church”. Mission chapel in 1957, elevation to parish and site in 1958, diocesan affiliation, completion in 1986, elevation of Hupo to parish, opposition to the nuclear waste site, present state.
   https://www.grandculture.net/uljin/toc/GC01801100
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Uljin Culture Encyclopedia “Catholicism”. Beginning of Catholicism in Uljin, first and 2 pastors, dates of appointment of 7–11 pastors, praesidium and bulletin publication.
   https://www.grandculture.net/uljin/toc/GC01801077
4. Diocese of Andong, jurisdiction map and parish distribution. Order of parish foundations (Uljin 9 in order, May 24, 1958).
   https://www.acatholic.or.kr/sub1/sub1_4.asp