Myeongji New Town Church

History & origins

The present Myeongji Our Lady of Fatima Parish was first developed under the name “Myeongji New Town Catholic Church.” The Diocese of Busan held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new church on April 5, 2018, and the planned building was described as a three-story structure. Diocesan records expressed gratitude for the cooperation of the existing Myeongji Parish community, showing that preparation for the new-town parish took place with support from the neighboring established parish.

The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea records May 28, 2019, as the date of parish establishment. Diocesan personnel records from the same year also show independent pastoral responsibility for Myeongji New Town Parish, and a dedication of the new church was recorded in diocesan news in July. Thus, the sequence from groundbreaking to parish establishment and church dedication unfolded within a little over a year.

The official name used by the diocese and the bishops’ conference later became “Myeongji Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church,” directly reflecting Our Lady of Fatima as the parish patron. Although the earlier place-based name “Myeongji New Town” was replaced by the present patronal name, comparison of the address and diocesan records shows that both names refer to the continuous history of the same parish.