Mugeo Catholic Church

Overview

Mugeo Church is a church in Mugeo-dong, Nam-gu, Ulsan Metropolitan City, belonging to the Ulsan Vicariate of the Busan Diocese. Separated from Ujeong Parish, it was established in 1995 with Saint Mark the Evangelist as its patron, and it later spun off Beomseo Church in the Guyeong-ri area.

History

〔Land Purchase and New Church Construction〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the number of faithful in Ujeong Parish grew, the Busan Diocese, which was planning a new parish, purchased 770 pyeong of land at the present parish site on November 3, 1992, and had the faithful of Ujeong Parish living in Mugeo-dong form a committee to promote the construction of a new church. It held a groundbreaking ceremony on December 12, 1994 and, on April 23 of the following year, completed a building with a total floor area of 728 pyeong, with 3 floors above ground and 1 floors below ground, comprising the church (185 pyeong), catechism classrooms and a hall, a rectory, a convent and other facilities. The Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia writes that, as the number of faithful grew with the development of housing sites around Mugeo-dong in the early 1990s, starting with the land purchase on November 3, 1992, the Church Construction Support Committee was launched in 1993 and construction of the church building began.

〔Establishment of the Parish〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that it was separated and newly established from Ujeong Parish on February 4, 1995, while the Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia records that it was separated from Ujeong Church on February 8, 1995. The two sources give different establishment dates. The first pastor was Father Jang Se-myeong (Andrew). The Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia records that Father Jang Se-myeong took office as the first pastor on February 17, 1996. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the jurisdiction at the time of establishment covered all of Mugeo 1 and 2-dong, Daun-dong, Guyeong-ri, Cheokgwa-ri and Cheonsang-ri in Beomseo-myeon, and Munjung-ri and Yul-ri in Cheongnyang-myeon.

〔Spin-off of Beomseo Church and Later Developments〕 According to the Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia, as the Guyeong-ri area within its jurisdiction was developed in 1998, the number of faithful grew and it spun off Beomseo Church. In 2013, Father Kim Yun-geun (Peter) took office as the 8th pastor. The same source assesses that, as large-scale apartment complexes were built in Mugeo-dong after the 1990s and the number of faithful grew, it serves as a central parish in the area, ranking among the larger ones in the Ulsan region.

〔Groups and Present Status〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that, in the early days after establishment, the Marian Association, the Mothers’ Association, the Altar Society, the Yeondohoe prayer group for the deceased, and 1 curiae and 19 praesidia of the Legion of Mary were active as faithful groups. The Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia gives, as of 2017, the number of faithful as 5,215 in total, 2,328 men and 2,887 women, with 2 priests, 2 nuns, 1 office manager, 1 clerks and 1 custodians, and writes that its jurisdiction covers road-name areas such as Sinbok-ro, Daehak-ro and Nambu-sunhwan-ro in Nam-gu, Ulsan, as well as parts of Jung-gu and of Beomseo-eup and Cheongnyang-eup in Ulju-gun.

Related Places and People

• Ujeong Church: the mother parish from which Mugeo Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Beomseo Church: the church spun off from Mugeo Church in 1998 (Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Mugeo Parish”. Background of establishment, land purchase and construction schedule, size, jurisdiction at the time of establishment and faithful groups.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2095
2. Korean Studies Central Research Institute, Ulsan History and Culture Encyclopedia, “Mugeo Church”. History of establishment, first pastor, spin-off of Beomseo Church, status in 2017.
   https://www.grandculture.net/ulsan/toc/GC80020544