Jangyu Church

History & origins

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory records Jangyu Parish as having been established on February 1, 1992. As the Catholic community in the Jangyu area took on the structure of an independent parish, local Catholics gained a pastoral center where Mass, the sacraments, and faith formation could continue within their own living area. As Jangyu developed rapidly in the years that followed, the parish broadened its pastoral response amid population growth and increasingly diverse local needs.

In 2004, the parish opened a Korean language school to help migrant workers facing difficulties because of language barriers. The Catholic Times reported that Korean lessons and meals were provided each week and that workers from several countries took part. During the same period, the parish established a life-and-environment award and promoted support for Korean agriculture and practical ecological commitments. This shows that the history of Jangyu Parish involved not only the development of parish facilities but also a widening pastoral concern for new members of the local community and for issues affecting everyday life.

Population growth and the expansion of the Jangyu living area eventually brought a structural change in the parish itself. When the Diocese of Busan established Jangyu Daecheong Parish on January 10, 2006, Daecheong-ri, Gwandong-ri, and part of Sammun-ri were separated from Jangyu Parish. The new community was reported at the time as 397 households and 1,112 Catholics. The creation of another parish from Jangyu was an important sign that the original community had grown to the point where more localized pastoral care was needed.

In 2015, Catholic media described parish ministry using culture, including a monthly Culture Sunday, sharing of faith experiences, performances and films, and spiritual reading. From its establishment through ministry to migrants and life-and-environment concerns, the creation of a daughter parish, and later cultural pastoral work, the record shows a parish that continued to adapt its methods to changes in the local community.