Gimhae Catholic Church

Overview

Gimhae Church is a church in Dongsang-dong, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, belonging to the Diocese of Busan. It was elevated from the Sambang Catholic mission chapel under Jinyeong Parish to a parish, with the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as patron. It has since spun off Jangyu, Hwalcheon, Imho, Samgye and Yeonji churches and has served as the mother parish of the Gimhae area.

History

[Spread of the Gospel and mission chapels] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia estimates that the Gospel reached the Gimhae area no later than the late 1850s. The basis is the records of Fr. Choe Yang-eop and Bishop Daveluy, who toured the southern region including this area and served Catholic mission chapels, and in the early 1860s Bishop Daveluy reported, “The yangban of the Gimhae area circulated a joint notice and resolved to expel all believers outside the town, so I could no longer visit to administer the sacraments.” The church statistics reported by Fr. Robert in 1883 show about 40 believers at the Norumok Catholic mission chapel (present Jangbang-ri, Ibuk-myeon, Gimhae-gun). The Norumok Catholic mission chapel survived until Fr. Kang Seong-sam (Laurence) of Myeongnye Parish (present Hanam-myeon, Miryang-gun) ministered to this area in the early 20 century, and mission chapels such as Bamangae (present Sikman-ri, Garak-myeon) and Bongnim (present Bongnim-ri, Saengnim-myeon) also appear occasionally in the statistics from the late 1890s to the early 1900s. Around 1915 Fr. Vermon of Masan Parish visited each Catholic household and evangelized. In 1935 Jinyeong Parish was established in Jinyeong-eup, Gimhae-gun, and this area came under Jinyeong Parish, and in 1939 the Sambang Catholic mission chapel was established.

[Process of parish establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1945 the heads of the Sambang, Ulman, Sangdeok, Jeonyang, Ipso, Choseondae and Juchon Catholic mission chapels in the Gimhae area and more than 40 believers organized a mutual-aid association to help with funeral rites and to evangelize. In 1948 they launched a preparatory committee for parish establishment, in October 1950 purchased 1,080 pyeong at 5, 727 2-gu, Dongsang-dong, Gimhae-eup, and in 1956 began building a new church, with believers from each mission chapel volunteering in rotation, more than 30 each day, completing it in 1957 after 1 years. The encyclopedia records that in October 1959 the Sambang Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Gimhae Parish (October 21), and the first pastor was Fr. Kim Tae-ho (Aloysius) (1959.10–1968.10).

[Accounts of the founding date by source] The “Gimhae Church” entry in the Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia states that Gimhae Church was established on October 29, 1957 in the Diocese of Busan, while the “Church” entry in the same encyclopedia states that on September 17, 1959 the Sambang Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Gimhae Church. The Jinyeong Church account in the same encyclopedia states that in October 1959 believers of Jinyeong Church spun off Gimhae Church. The Gimhae Church entry explains that because of the 6·25 War refugees flowed into the Gimhae area near Busan and believers surged, establishment was requested, and it was founded to integrate surrounding believers by elevating Sambang to Gimhae Parish. The “Church” entry states that during the 6·25 War believers in Gimhae did not evacuate but received many believers fleeing from Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do and elsewhere, and at the time the only church in the Gimhae area was Jinyeong Church in what is now the Diocese of Masan, which could not handle the growth. With the help of the Diocese of Busan and Jinyeong believers, Sambang was elevated.

[Early development] According to the Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia, the church was destroyed by Typhoon Sarah in September 1959, but restoration was completed on December 24 of the same year. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that with the cooperation of the diocesan office, typhoon damage to the buildings was repaired. After the 2 Vatican Council opened in 1962, Gimhae Parish strove to embody the Council’s spirit of “adaptation and renewal,” expanding the Hallim Catholic mission chapel for believers and establishing a credit union internally, and providing a workers’ workplace for building Cheonggok Reservoir for local residents externally. The same encyclopedia states that from the late 1960s for more than 10 years parish ministry was unstable due to frequent transfers of pastors. On September 1, 1964 Sisters of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres were dispatched to Gimhae Church, and residents moved by their example visited the church and were baptized. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that a branch house of this congregation has been in place since September 1964.

[Church building and convent after the 1970s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in November 1980 the existing church and convent were demolished and construction proceeded, completing a new convent in June 1981. In May 1984 expansion of the church began, completing a 2-story church with floor area of 147 pyeong in August, and in November a dedication of the church and a ceremony for the 25 anniversary of parish establishment were held, presided over by Bishop Lee Gap-su. The Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia states that the present building was begun under Fr. Thaddeus in 1984 and dedicated on November 19, and that Fr. Kim Yun-geun (Peter), who took office in 1980, built a new church, hall and convent with believers.

[Spin-offs] According to the Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia, from 1980 church strength grew nationwide with the 200 anniversary of the establishment of dioceses in Korea and the canonization of 103, and Gimhae Church also grew and division was required. The Jangyu Catholic mission chapel, established in 1962, was closed after 3 years due to inconvenient transportation and decline, but was reopened by parish priest Seok Chan-gwi in 1988, and in June 1990 a mission building was secured and in July it was spun off as Jangyu Church. As apartment complexes rose in Sambang-dong, Eobang-dong and elsewhere and believers kept increasing, in 1991 the diocese purchased a site in Sambang-dong, and in February 1995 Hwalcheon Church spun off from Gimhae Church was established with Fr. Park Gyeong-bin (Alexius) as first pastor (Hwalcheon Church completed its unfinished building as a 2-story church in 2000 and dedicated it). In February 2001 Imho Church was separated and established with Fr. Lee Seok-hui (Laurence) as first pastor. The “Church” entry states that in February 2004 establishment of Gimhae Bukbu Church was approved, it was separated from Gimhae Church in September, Fr. Choe Hyeon-uk (Benedict) was appointed first pastor, and the dedication was held in March 2007, while the “Gimhae Church” entry summarizes this as the 2004 spin-off of Samgye Church. In 2011 Yeonji Church, spun off from Gimhae and Imho churches, was established with Fr. Seo Gang-jin (Stephen) as first pastor, and held its dedication in May 2012. This entry states that Gimhae Church shrank as it repeatedly spun off churches.

[Jurisdiction and church strength] The jurisdiction at the time recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all of Gimhae-si, parts of Juchon-myeon, Sangdong-myeon, Daedong-myeon, Garak-myeon, Noksan-myeon and Hallim-myeon in Gimhae-gun, Daejeo-1 and -2-dong and Gangdong-dong in Buk-gu, Busan-si, with 1 affiliated Catholic mission chapel (Ulman). Strength is recorded as 1,282 in 1967, 2,351 in 1986, and 4,776 in 1993. The Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia lists, as of 2023, 3,355 faithful and a site area of 1,370㎡, with main buildings being the church, rectory, convent and office. The same entry states that as of 2023 groups centered on the Lay Apostolate Council include the Anna Association, Marian Association, Yeondohoe, charismatic prayer group, youth group and others, that before COVID-19 it ran a free meal service for foreign workers and the poor, and that as of 2023 it provides a place where Catholic believers among foreign workers can have Mass and meetings.

[Successive pastors] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first pastor Aloysius Kim Tae-ho (1959.10–1968.10), the 2 pastor Antonio Lee Dong-hun (1968.10–1969.3), the 3 pastor Augustine Jo Yong-geol (1969.3–1971.5), the 4 pastor Joseph Seo Jae-seon (1971.5–10), the 5 pastor Paul Lee Cheol-u (1971.10–1972.1), the 6 pastor Luke Kim Nam-su (1972.1–11), the 7 pastor Alexius Kim Gyeong-u (1972.11–1973.3), the 8 pastor Macarius Choe Yeong-gwan (1973.3–1975.6), the 9 pastor Emmanuel Kim Chang-dae (1975.6–1976.11), the 10 pastor Raimundus Lee Sang-ho (1976.11–1979.10), the 11 pastor John Yang Deok-bae (1979.10–1980.2), the 12 pastor Peter Kim Yun-geun (1980.2–1983.2), the 13 pastor Thaddeus Lee Ok-gun (1983.2–1985.9), the 14 pastor Callistus Sin Yun-u (1985.9–1986.5), the 15 pastor Stephen Seok Chan-gwi (1986.5–1989.2), the 16 pastor Andrew Park Yu-sik (1989.2–1993.2), and the 17 pastor Michael Lee Min (1993.2–) took office.

Related places and people

• Jinyeong Church (Diocese of Masan): the first church in the Gimhae area, and the Sambang Catholic mission chapel of Gimhae Church was under Jinyeong Parish. The Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia states that with the boundary adjustment between the Diocese of Busan and the Diocese of Masan in 1973, Gimhae Church came to belong to the Diocese of Busan and Jinyeong Church to the Diocese of Masan.
• Sambang Catholic mission chapel: established in 1939 and elevated to Gimhae Parish in 1959 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Spun-off churches: Jangyu (1990), Hwalcheon (1995), Imho (2001), Samgye (2004) and Yeonji (2011) churches (Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia).
• Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres: the congregation whose sisters have been dispatched to Gimhae Church since September 1964 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Gimhae Parish”. Elevation of Sambang to a parish in 1959, jurisdiction, church strength, successive priests, mission-chapel era and parish establishment, new construction, expansion and dedication, spin-offs.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/974
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia “Gimhae Church”. Founding record in 1957, purpose, changes, spin-off years, status in 2023.
   https://gimhae.grandculture.net/gimhae/toc/GC09400963
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Gimhae Culture Encyclopedia “Church”. Account of elevation in 1959, Typhoon Sarah damage and restoration, dedication of the present church, spin-off process of Gimhae-area churches, Busan-Masan diocesan boundary adjustment.
   https://gimhae.grandculture.net/gimhae/toc/GC09400962