Yeongdeok Catholic Church

Overview

Yeongdeok Church is a church of the Andong Diocese located in Deokgok-ri, Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It began as the Yeongdeok Catholic mission chapel under the Jukdo parish in Pohang on November 8, 1958, and was elevated to a parish on April 1, 1962. Its patron is the Sacred Heart of Mary, and its first pastor was Father John Bido (J. Bideau, Do Gwang-ju). This mission chapel was the first Catholic chapel in Yeongdeok-eup.

History

[Yeongdeok Catholic Mission Chapel] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, on November 8, 1958, the Yeongdeok Catholic mission chapel under the Jukdo parish in Pohang was established at Namseok 1-dong, lot 146, Yeongdeok-gun. The Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia records that this Yeongdeok mission chapel was the first Catholic chapel in Yeongdeok-eup and was first established as the Yeongdeok mission chapel of Jukdo Church in Pohang, and explains that Catholic evangelization in Yeongdeok began in earnest when the Yeongdeok mission chapel was created in November 1958.

[Elevation to Parish and Church Building] The Yeongdeok Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish on April 1, 1962, and Father Bido was appointed as the first pastor (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia). In the order of parish establishment on the Andong Diocese website, Yeongdeok is 14 and its establishment date is listed as April 5, 1962. Over about 4 years Father Bido secured 874 pyeong of the present parish site and, beginning church construction in March 1964, held the blessing ceremony of the church on December 10 of that year, presided over by Archbishop John Seo Jeong-gil (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism). The Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia records that, while newly building the church in March 1964, the rectory, convent and kindergarten were newly built, the blessing ceremony was held in December 1964 presided over by Archbishop Seo Jeong-gil, and in April 1968 2 classes of the Sacred Heart Kindergarten in the church were opened.

[Transfer to the Andong Diocese] When the Andong Diocese was established, Yeongdeok Parish was transferred from the Daegu Archdiocese to the Andong Diocese on July 30, 1969 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism). The Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia records that affiliation changed when Pope Paul 6 established the Andong Diocese on May 29, 1969, separating the northern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do from the Daegu Archdiocese.

[Pastors of the 1969–1980s] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, the 2 pastor, Father Ludovico Feuvrier (L. Feuvrier, Heo Jin-seop), organized many apostolic groups such as the youth group, Marian Association, student group and choir, working to enliven the parish community, and invited 3 sisters belonging to the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Pohang. The 3 pastor, Father Paul Kim Gi, the first Korean priest assigned to the parish, was dispatched from the Daejeon Diocese to the Andong Diocese, visited the Yeonghae Catholic mission chapel and the Sinae Catholic mission chapel every week to celebrate Mass, and promoted the economic self-reliance of the parish. The 4 pastor, Father Ludovico Jeong Ho-gyeong, who took office after Father Kim Gi returned to the Daejeon Diocese, repaired the interior of the rectory in 1981, purchased 998 pyeong of land for the Ganggu Catholic mission chapel, and purchased 692 pyeong of the Sinaewon site, which had been maintained by the county, and transferred it to the diocesan office. The 5 pastor, Father Joseph Lee Jeong-mo, newly built the Ganggu Catholic mission chapel and created a sharing gathering event, contributing to forming the parish and its mission chapels into one community, and worked to lay the foundation for the self-reliance of the mission chapels. The 6 pastor, Father Stefano Nam Jeong-hong, invited outside lecturers to devote himself to the re-education of the faithful and visited the Cheongsong detention center several times with parishioners.

[After 1989] During the term of the 7 pastor, Father Francisco Jeon Jang-ho, when the church site was incorporated into a road under the urban plan in May 1989, construction of the rectory began in October of that year and construction of the kindergarten and education hall began in November, completed on April 1, 1990 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism). To provide a church cemetery, Father Jeon Jang-ho reached an agreement with Uljin Parish and, in August of the following year, received 7,740 pyeong of forest land at mountain lot 54-1, Daegok-ri, Chuksan-myeon, Yeongdeok-gun, to use as a cemetery. On July 3, 1991, the convent of the Yeonghae Catholic mission chapel was completed; the Yeonghae Catholic mission chapel was transferred to the newly established Hupo Parish in April 1992. The 11 pastor, Father Thomas Park Jae-sik, expanded and renovated the rectory in April 2000.

[Mission Chapels and Present Status] The jurisdiction recorded in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism covers all of Yeongdeok-eup, Dalsan-myeon and Jipum-myeon, and the mission chapels under its jurisdiction are 3 in total: Ganggu (Ganggu-myeon, Namjeong-myeon), Sinae (Sinae-ri, Jipum-myeon) and Galilea (No. 1 Detention Center of Cheongsong Prison). The Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia records that the Sinae mission chapel was established in 1979 at 3, Sinae-ri, Jipum-myeon, Yeongdeok-gun. According to the Catholicism entry in the same cultural encyclopedia, there are churches in 3 places in the Yeongdeok area — Yeongdeok, Yeonghae and Ganggu: in Yeonghae, there was the Yeonghae mission chapel of Jukdo Church in Pohang in 1955, which became Yeonghae Church in July 1999, and in Samsa-ri, Ganggu-myeon, there was the Ganggu mission chapel of Yeongdeok Church in 1982, which was elevated to Ganggu Church in July 2002. As of 2021, about 800 faithful lead a Mass-centered life of faith at Yeongdeok Church together with pastor Father Andrea Ryu Seong-tae and sisters of the Sisters of the Eucharist, and the church operates the Sacred Heart Kindergarten within the church, participating in early childhood education in the area.

[Church Statistics and Successive Priests] The church statistics in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism are 355 faithful in 1963, 955 in 1989, 811 in 1992, and 1,036 in 2000. The successive priests are: the first, Father John Bido (Do Gwang-ju) (1962.4–1969.7); the 2, Father Ludovico Feuvrier (Heo Jin-seop) (1969.7–1978.4); the 3, Father Paul Kim Gi (1978.4–1980.9); the 4, Father Ludovico Jeong Ho-gyeong (1980.9–1982.6); the 5, Father Joseph Lee Jeong-mo (1982.6–1986.1); the 6, Father Stefano Nam Jeong-hong (1986.1–1989.3); the 7, Father Francisco Jeon Jang-ho (1989.3–1992.2); the 8, Father Francisco Lee Chun-u (1992.2–5); the 9, Father Leo Kim Uk-tae (1992.5–1995.6); the 10, Father Thomas Heo Chun-do (1995.6–1998.8); and the 11, Father Thomas Park Jae-sik (1998.8–).

Architecture and Space

The Yeongdeok Church site is 874 pyeong secured by Father Bido over about 4 years, and the church blessed on December 10, 1964 was built together with the rectory, convent and kindergarten (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia). In 1989, under the urban plan, the church site was incorporated into a road, so the rectory and the kindergarten and education hall were newly built and completed on April 1, 1990.

Related Places and People

• Jukdo Parish in Pohang: the Daegu Diocese parish to which the Yeongdeok Catholic mission chapel belonged (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Ganggu Catholic Mission Chapel (now Ganggu Church): established as a mission chapel of Yeongdeok Church and elevated to Ganggu Church in July 2002 (Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Yeonghae Catholic Mission Chapel (now Yeonghae Church): transferred to Hupo Parish in April 1992 and elevated to Yeonghae Church in July 1999 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Sinae Catholic Mission Chapel and Sinaewon site: 692 pyeong of the Sinaewon site was purchased and transferred to the diocesan office (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Galilea Catholic Mission Chapel (No. 1 Detention Center of Cheongsong Prison): was a mission chapel under Yeongdeok Parish (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Father John Bido (Do Gwang-ju): the first pastor, who secured the parish site and built the church (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).

References and Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, “Yeongdeok Parish” (vol. 9). Elevation to parish on April 1, 1962, patron, jurisdiction and mission chapels, church statistics, successive priests, mission chapel establishment and church building, activities of pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4487
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia “Yeongdeok Church”. Establishment of mission chapel in 1958, elevation to parish in 1962, new church building and blessing in 1964, change of affiliation to Andong Diocese, present status in 2021.
   https://www.grandculture.net/yeongdeok/toc/GC08501042
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yeongdeok Culture Encyclopedia “Catholicism”. Beginning of Catholicism in Yeongdeok and the process of elevation of Yeongdeok, Yeonghae and Ganggu churches.
   https://www.grandculture.net/yeongdeok/toc/GC08500018
4. Andong Diocese, jurisdiction and parish distribution map. Order of parish establishment (Yeongdeok 14, April 5, 1962).
   https://www.acatholic.or.kr/sub1/sub1_4.asp