Dongrae Catholic Church

Overview

Dongnae Church is a church in Suan-dong, Dongnae-gu, Busan, belonging to the Diocese of Busan, separated and established from Busanjin Parish in September 1951. Its patron is the Sacred Heart of Mary. It is located in the area where faithful from Dongnae were martyred during the Byeongin Persecution of 1866, and its first pastor was Father Kim Chung-mu (Clemens).

History

[Early history] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Dongnae area was the center of Catholicism in Gyeongsangnam-do until just before the Byeongin Persecution of 1866, and Auxiliary Bishop Daveluy (Andoni), Father Choe Yang-eop, Father Ridel (Yi Bok-myeong) and others evangelized the northeastern Gyeongnam region centered on this place. After 7 people, including President Yi Jeong-sik (John), were martyred at Suyeong Jangdae during the Byeongin Persecution, the faithful disappeared, and even after Father Jojo (Jo Deuk-ha), the first pastor of the Gyeongnam Church, took up his post in Yeongdo around 1890, not even a Catholic mission chapel could be established in Dongnae. The Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia states that after 7 people, including President Yi Jeong-sik, were martyred, the faithful dispersed, and in its evaluation section it states that among 8 people from this region martyred during the Byeongin Persecution, Yi Jeong-sik (John) and Yang Jae-hyeon (Martin) would become blessed on August 16, 2014.

[Mission chapel period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Gospel was preached again in Dongnae from around May 1916 when Choe Magdalena moved in. Through the efforts of Granny Choe, who sold oil, about 50 people entered the faith, and they, centered on President Jeong Benedict, founded the Dongnae Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Busanjin Parish in 1925. The Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia states that in 1925 Father Deslandes established a mission chapel in Dongnae-eup and the Gospel regained vitality.

[Parish establishment] As refugee faithful increased due to the 6–25 War and a Catholic village formed around the mission chapel, Father Kim Chung-mu, who had been pastor of Sachang Parish in Hwanghae-do and had taken refuge in Busanjin Parish, took office as the first pastor in September 1951 and it was elevated and separated as a parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia gives the establishment date as on September 20, 1951, explaining that Father Kim Chung-mu founded the parish in cooperation with the faithful, and that Dongnae Church took charge of the entire northeastern Busan area centered on the place where the first Gospel was sown in Busan (present Myeongjang-dong).

[Church building] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the faithful surged with the influx of refugees, with building-material aid from a U.S. military chaplain, heavy-equipment support from Major Yi Ju-hwang, and the pastoral care of Father Kim Chung-mu, a wooden church with a floor area of 70 pyeong was built on the mission chapel site in Bokcheon-dong (Catholic apartments at 151 Bokcheon-dong at present) and dedicated on October 24, 1954 (the Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia describes it as 231 m2 in size and gives the dedication as on October 26, 1954, differing in date). Afterwards, in January 1965 a church site of 420 pyeong was purchased at 464 Suan-dong, a groundbreaking ceremony for the new church was held on July 20 of that year, and on November 5, 1966 a building with church, offices, convent and other facilities with a size of 380 pyeong was completed and the church moved here from the old church in Bokcheon-dong (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia states that with the support of the diocese in 1966 a site was purchased and a modern new sanctuary was dedicated on September 26, 1967, and gives the relocation time as on September 5, 1966. On August 28, 1977, a 3-story building with a scale of 110 pyeong, equipped with a rectory, convent, catechesis rooms and others, was completed on a nearby site of 56 pyeong (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[Housing project for the poor] According to the Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia, from 1960 the Diocese of Busan carried out a ‘housing project for the poor’ with the help of an Austrian lady, building 16 detached houses (2 ten thousand dollars) in Bokcheon-dong in 1965, and 15 apartment units (2 ten thousand dollars) in 1966.

[Pastoral activities] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Legion of Mary developed greatly, founding a parish-only Curia in January 1982 and dividing it into 2 in September, and adding 2 more Curiae in January 1993, so that by 1995 there were 1 Comitia and 4 Curiae. In January 1980, a prayer meeting was held at Suan Presbyterian Church hoping for unity between Catholics and Protestants, and in September 1981, to mark the 30 anniversary of the parish establishment, ‘Dongnae Mission 30 Years’ was published. From 1980, group retreats were held 2–3 times each year by group, and from 1990, 1 pilgrimages to holy places and 2 retreats were held each year for all the faithful, and they also participated in medical lectures and blood donation campaigns. In September 1993, a mission seminar was held.

[Branch parishes and present status] The parishes separated from Dongnae Parish are, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Oncheon Parish and Yangjeong Parish in 1957, Yangsan Parish in 1968, Bansong Parish in 1972, Banyeo Parish in 1977, and Anrak Parish in 1985, and there is also Jangsan Parish, which was founded as a mission chapel in 1981 and elevated and separated in 1988. It also raised and delivered funds for building churches of nearby parishes, including over 1 hundred million and 3 ten million won to Anrak Parish, as well as Jangsan and Bugok Parishes. The Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia lists Oncheon, Yangjeong, Yangsan, Bansong, Banyeo, Anrak and Geumjeong as branched parishes, and states that Dongnae Church is a cradle of vocations that produced more than 20 priests and more than 50 religious. The statistics of the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 2,177 people in 1976, 4,953 people in 1983, 4,414 people in 1988, and 5,524 people in 1993. By 2013, the number of faithful was 6,222, with groups such as the St. Vincent Society, St. Peter Association, Marian Association, St. Anna Association, Yeondo Association, Jedae Association, Bosco Association and others, and on a land of about 1,973 m2 the building area of the church, hall, rectory, convent and others is about 5,567 m2 (Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia).

Related Places and Persons

• Busanjin Parish: the parish from which Dongnae Parish was separated, and the Dongnae mission chapel was founded under the jurisdiction of this parish in 1925 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Oncheon, Yangjeong, Yangsan, Bansong, Banyeo, Anrak and Jangsan Parishes: parishes separated from Dongnae Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia also lists Geumjeong Church as a branched parish.
• Yi Jeong-sik (John) and Yang Jae-hyeon (Martin): faithful from Dongnae martyred during the Byeongin Persecution (Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Father Kim Chung-mu (Clemens): the first pastor of Dongnae Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Successive pastors (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, based on descriptions of the 1990s): 1st Kim Chung-mu Clemens (1951.9–1957.7), the 2 Yi Tae-jun Jacob (1957.7–1961.5), the 3 Kim Jun-pil Augustinus (1961.5–1969.3), the 4 Jeong Hwan-guk Aloysius (1969.3–11), the 5 Yu Chang-ho Thomas (1969.11–1971.10), the 6 Kim Jun-pil (1971.10–1972.11), the 7 Kim Tae-ho Aloysius (1972.11–1976.11), the 8 Yi Don-u Leo (1976.11–1978.6), the 9 Choe Yeong-gwan Macarius (1978.6–7), the 10 Jeong Jae-seok Joseph (1978.7–1979.2), the 11 Heo Seong Jacob (1979.2–1983.7), the 12 Hwang Tae-ung Joseph (1983.7–1984.1), the 13 Sin Yun-u Callistus (1984.1–1985.8), the 14 Yi Ok-gun Thaddeus (1985.8–1990.2), the 15 Han Yeong-il Nicolaus (1990.2–).

References and Sources

1. Academy of Korean Studies, Busan History and Culture Encyclopedia “Dongnae Church”. Byeongin Persecution and mission chapel, parish establishment (1951.9.20.), wooden church (1954) and new sanctuary (1967), housing project for the poor, branch parishes, status in 2013.
   https://www.grandculture.net/busan/toc/GC04210765
2. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Dongnae Parish” (3 volume). Early history, mission chapel period, foundation and church building, pastoral activities, separated parishes, statistics and list of successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1454