Jeonha Catholic Church

Overview

Jeonha Church is a church in Jeonha-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan Metropolitan City, belonging to the Ulsan Vicariate of the Diocese of Busan. It was established on January 9, 1978, separated from Ulsan (now Boksan) Parish, with the Holy Spirit as its patron, and after spinning off Bangeojin Church and St. Paul Church, it served as a base in the Dong-gu area of Ulsan.

History

〔Bangeojin Catholic Mission Chapel Period〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the faithful in the Bangeojin area under Ulsan Parish had longed for a faith community since the late 1950s, and held the first mission chapel service in September 1957 at the house of Choe Seung-gap. On October 3 of the following year, the 2th pastor of Ulsan Parish, Father Baek Eung-bok (Stephen), obtained approval from the diocese and prepared a 2-story wooden building (40 pyeong) at 395-1 Bangeo-dong, establishing the Bangeojin mission chapel. As the industrialization policy of the 1970s brought in over 10 companies, including Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the area developed into a new industrial city, the population surged, and on May 21, 1976, the 8th pastor of Ulsan Parish, Father Oh Su-yeong (Hyginus), purchased a site of 1,300 pyeong at the present church location. On July 10 of the following year, a temporary building (59 pyeong) to be used as a church in the future was completed and blessed.

〔Parish Establishment and Church Construction〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that in January 1978 Jeonha Parish, centered on the Bangeojin mission chapel, was separated and established from Ulsan Parish, with Father Lee Yeong-muk (Andrew) appointed as the first pastor, and states at the beginning of its article that the establishment date was on January 9. The Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia also records the establishment date as on January 9, 1978, and describes it as the fourth parish in Ulsan spun off from Boksan (Ulsan) Church. Father Lee Yeong-muk planned new construction, began work in October 1979, and completed a 2-story church and rectory in July 1980, holding a dedication ceremony. In February 1979, a convent of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres was established.

〔Construction and Spin-off of St. Paul Church〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 2th pastor, Father Pyo Jung-gwan, promoted district revitalization, group development, re-education of the faithful, and a campaign to double the faithful, and by the end of 1982, 4 praesidia had been founded. In 1985, growth in the number of faithful made expansion of the church unavoidable, but when Hyundai Group expressed its intention to build a church on the Hyundai Heavy Industries site, the expansion was put on hold, construction began in November 1985, and on June 3 of the following year, St. Paul Church (400 pyeong), modeled after Myeongdong Church, was completed. After Jeonha Parish managed this church temporarily, St. Paul Parish was separated and established on January 22, 1987, during the tenure of the 4th pastor, Father Ha Yong-dal.

〔After 1987〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 5th pastor, Father Lee Yeong-sik, carried out the parish expansion work that had been put on hold, beginning in July 1987 and finishing on January 10, 1988, and in September of the same year, placed a statue of Saint Yu Dae-cheol in the parish. The 6th pastor, Father Bae Sang-seop, formed a committee to promote the construction of Bangeojin Church in March 1991 in response to the increase in faithful, and after separating and establishing Bangeojin Church on February 6, 1993, served concurrently as pastor of Bangeojin Church until his transfer. The 7th pastor, Father Hwang Cheol-su, began construction in October 1994 of a building for use as a rectory, convent, hall, credit union, and other purposes, completing the building (310 pyeong) on May 2 of the following year and holding a blessing ceremony. The 8th pastor, Father Park Tae-sik, participated with the faithful in October 1997 in a faith rally commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Busan, and received a plaque from the diocese in recognition of parish growth. The 10th pastor, Father Kim Yong-hwan, held a Mass and events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the parish establishment on June 8, 2003. Spin-off years differ by source, and the Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia records Bangeojin Church as spun off in 1992 and St. Paul Church as spun off in 1993.

〔Parish Statistics, Jurisdiction and Successive Pastors〕 The parish statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are in 1978, 1,228 faithful, in 1982, 2,782 faithful, in 1987, 4,013 faithful, in 1992, 3,500 faithful, in 1996, 3,262 faithful, and in 2001, 3,893 faithful. The jurisdictional area at the time is recorded as all of Jeonha 1, 2 and 3-dong, Ilsan-dong, and part of Hwajeong-dong. The Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia records, as of 2017, the jurisdictional area as parts of Jeonha-ro, Bongsu-ro and Daesong-ro in Dong-gu, and the number of faithful as 4,052 (male 1,789, female 2,263). Successive pastors were the first, Lee Yeong-muk Andrew (1978.1~1980.9), the 2th, Pyo Jung-gwan Peter (1980.9~1984.2), the 3th, Kim Gye-chun Peter (1984.2~1986.9), the 4th, Ha Yong-dal Andrew (1986.9~1987.1), the 5th, Lee Yeong-sik Hyginus (1987.1~1989.2), the 6th, Bae Sang-seop John (1989.2~1994.2), the 7th, Hwang Cheol-su Paul (1994.2~1996.2), the 8th, Park Tae-sik Francis (1996.2~1998.2), the 9th, Lee Jae-man Mark (1998.2~2002.1), and the 10th, Kim Yong-hwan John the Baptist (2002.1~).

Related Places and People

• Boksan Church (former Ulsan Church): The mother parish from which Jeonha Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Bangeojin Church: A parish separated and established from Jeonha Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• St. Paul Church: St. Paul Church, completed on June 3, 1986, was managed temporarily by Jeonha Parish and then separated as a parish on January 22, 1987 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bangeojin Catholic Mission Chapel: A mission chapel established on October 3, 1958, which became the center for the establishment of Jeonha Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Jeonha Parish”. Bangeojin mission chapel, site purchase, parish establishment, church construction, separation of St. Paul and Bangeojin parishes, parish statistics and successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5454
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia “Jeonha Church”. Establishment date on January 9, 1978, spin-off status, and status in 2017.
   https://www.grandculture.net/ulsan/toc/GC80030177