Minrak Catholic Church

Overview

Minrak Church is a church in Minrak-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan Metropolitan City, belonging to the Diocese of Busan. On February 1988 it was separated and established from Gwangan Parish, and its patron is the Holy Family.

History

〔Background of foundation〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the area of present-day Minrak-dong and Gwangan-dong had been under the jurisdiction of Suyeong Parish (the predecessor of Gwangan Parish) for more than 30 years since 1956, but after the 1980s regional development increased the number of the faithful and a plan to divide the parish was drawn up. Gwangan Parish purchased about 250 pyeong of land at the present Minrak Parish site on January 16, 1987, and in the same year obtained permission for the planned new parish from the diocese on July 25 and began construction of the new church on October 11.

〔Establishment of the parish〕 The encyclopedia states that on February 16, 1988 Minrak Parish was separated and established from Gwangan Parish, with Father John Bae Sang-seop, then pastor of Gwangan Parish, concurrently serving as its pastor (the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory gives the establishment date as February 6, 1988). In the same month, the 1-story church building now used as the hall was completed and the parish community moved in.

〔Expansion of the church〕 According to the encyclopedia, the land purchased by Gwangan Parish was too small to build a church accommodating more than 1,000 faithful, so during the tenure of the 2th pastor, Father Jerome Lee Taek-myeon, an additional 132 pyeong immediately next to the existing site was purchased on December 20, 1990. Fundraising was delayed and hampered the expansion work, but on September 1, 1992 the church expansion committee was formed, and in the following year construction began on February and was completed on January 9, 1994 as a church with a total floor area of 804 pyeong (1 basement floor and 4 above-ground floors), including the church, hall, catechetical rooms, rectory, convent and other facilities.

〔Pastoral activities〕 The encyclopedia states that in the Family Month on May 1995 a collection of writings by Sunday school students was compiled, and in the same year on December a collection of meditations on Genesis was published to encourage Bible reading and meditation. Various bazaars were held to repay debts from the expansion, all boys in the Sunday school took part in altar-server activities, and the liturgy at every Mass was shared among parish groups and district volunteers.

〔Parish statistics and jurisdiction〕 The encyclopedia gives the then parish address as 38-7 Minrak-dong, Suyeong-gu, its jurisdiction as parts of Minrak-dong, Suyeong-dong and Gwangan 1 and 2-dong, and its statistics as 1,828 faithful in 1988, 2,805 in 1992, and 2,973 in 1995. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory lists the present parish as belonging to the Namcheon District, its serving religious congregation as the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters, the number of the faithful as 3,429, and the number of Catholic mission chapels as 0.

〔Successive pastors〕 The pastors listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the 1st, Father John Bae Sang-seop (1988.2–1989.1), the 2th, Father Jerome Lee Taek-myeon (1989.1–1994.2), and the 3th, Father Blaise Heo Jin-ho (1994.2–present at the time of writing of the encyclopedia). The directory lists the current pastor as Father Andrew Lee Jae-seok.

Architecture and Space

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, about 250 pyeong of land was purchased on January 16, 1987, construction began on October 11, and the 1-story church building (now the hall) was completed on February 1988; after additionally purchasing 132 pyeong on December 1990, expansion work began on February 1993 and was completed on January 9, 1994 as a church with a total floor area of 804 pyeong (1 basement floor and 4 above-ground floors).

Related Places and People

• Gwangan Parish (Suyeong Parish): the parish from which Minrak Parish was separated and established. Suyeong Parish, the predecessor of Gwangan Parish, had jurisdiction over the Minrak-dong and Gwangan-dong area since 1956 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father John Bae Sang-seop: while serving as pastor of Gwangan Parish, he concurrently served as the first pastor of Minrak Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Minrak Parish” (vol. 5). Background of foundation, parish establishment in 1988, expansion completion in 1994, parish statistics, jurisdiction, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2231
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Minrak” (Diocese of Busan). Establishment date, patron, district, religious congregation, number of the faithful, number of Catholic mission chapels. Directory establishment date 1988.2.6, patron Holy Family, Namcheon District.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001398&gubun=4