Dongdaesin Catholic Church

History & origins

Dongdaesin Parish was established on November 1, 1964. The parish community continued through decades of urban change in Seo-gu, Busan, and by the time it approached its fiftieth anniversary it was preparing not only a commemoration of the past but also a shared reflection on its future pastoral mission.

According to Diocese of Busan records, preparations for the fiftieth anniversary included a lecture on a “future evangelization strategy,” spiritual practices for the community, and work to organize the parish's historical materials. Rather than stopping at celebration, the anniversary preparations became an expression of the parish's historical consciousness and its effort to discern the direction of evangelization for the next period.

A thanksgiving Mass for the fiftieth anniversary was celebrated on May 11, 2014. The occasion included the renewal of marriage vows by couples, spiritual offerings, a commemorative concert and fellowship events, and the publication of a photo book documenting fifty years of parish history. In this way, Dongdaesin's first half-century was handed on to the next generation through liturgy, family life, fellowship, and the deliberate preservation of communal memory.