Yangsan Catholic Church

Overview

Yangsan Church is a church in Bukbu-dong, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, belonging to the Busan Diocese. On December 27, 1967, it was elevated from the Yangsan Catholic mission chapel to a parish, and it is the mother parish of the Yangsan region from which Mulgeum, Ungsang, Deokgye Churches and others were separated.

History

[Early history and mission chapel era] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, from the time of the Gihae Persecution and the Byeongo Persecution a small number of believers, fleeing persecution, formed a faith community in the area now under the jurisdiction of Yangsan Parish, and when oppression intensified with the Byeongin Persecution, many believers moved to deep mountain areas such as Beomsil east of Wonhyosan (now Hogye-ri, Yangsan-eup) and continued their life of faith. In 1884, the family of Nam Garolo, who had taken refuge from Daegu during the Byeongin Persecution, together with Kim Johan, Park Maria and 60 believers established the Beomsil Catholic mission chapel. Then in November 1896 the Daeseok Catholic mission chapel (now Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan-eup) was established, and in 1923 the Yangsan Catholic mission chapel was established at the house of Byeon Han-jun (Francisco) in Nambu-dong. In May 1927, with the establishment of Eonyang Parish, this chapel, which had been under the jurisdiction of Busanjin Parish, came under the jurisdiction of Eonyang Parish. Later, as the number of believers grew, the Daegu Vicariate planned to establish a parish in the Yangsan area and in 1936 prepared 902 pyeong of church land in Jungbu-dong, Yangsan-eup, but could not establish a church because of Japanese religious oppression. The Yangsan Newspaper writes that Yangsan Church begins with the opening of the Yangsan Catholic mission chapel in 1921, describing it differently from 1923 in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia.

[Preparation for elevation to parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, after Liberation, in 1947 Kang Tae-won (Vincenzo) purchased a building in Bukbu-dong, Yangsan-eup and again attempted to elevate the chapel to a parish, and in 1957, as the chapel moved to Bukbu-ri, Yangsan-eup, the chapel came under the jurisdiction of Samrangjin Parish. In the late 1950s, when the Busan Vicariate promoted the ‘1 county 1 church policy,’ in 1958 Father Kim Jun-pil (Augustino), the 3 pastor of Dongnae Parish, which then had jurisdiction over the Yangsan Catholic mission chapel, purchased a house at the present parish site and promoted the establishment of a parish. The Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia also writes that in 1958 the existing chapel was relocated after purchasing a house in Bukbu-ri, Yangsan-eup (the present parish site), that the establishment of the parish was delayed because of an absolute shortage of priests, and that in 1963 Sisters of the Inbo Seongchehoe came to the chapel and began evangelization work.

[Elevation to parish and construction of a new church] On December 27, 1967, the Yangsan Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish, and Father Park Yu-sik (Andrea) took office as the first pastor. The Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia writes that the elevation was achieved through the cooperation of the faithful, including chapel chairman Hwang Jin-young, and with the help of Father Kim Jun-pil of Dongnae Parish. As there was then no church building or rectory, Father Park Yu-sik held a groundbreaking ceremony for new construction on April 1, 1968 and completed it on November 3 of the same year, which the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records as a 2-story church (117 pyeong). In November 1969, the Mulgeum Catholic mission chapel, which had been under the jurisdiction of Yangsan Parish, was elevated to a parish, and Mulgeum, Gasan, Seoksan and others were separated to Mulgeum Church (the Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia gives November 19, and writes that Yangsan Church then had 421 faithful in total and had the Daeseok Catholic mission chapel and the Hogye Catholic mission chapel under it). The Yangsan Newspaper writes that in 1970 the church building of Yangsan Church at its present location was completed.

[1970–1980s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 3 pastor, Father Yu Chang-ho, established a daycare center inside the church building in February 1973 but was transferred in December of the same year for medical treatment. Bishop Lee Gap-su (Gabriel) dispatched 3 Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary to look after the parish without a priest, its chapels and the daycare center, and the convent was closed in September 1975 when Father Espinoza of the Guadalupe Foreign Missions, as the 6 pastor, took office in June of the following year. Father Espinoza held the Busan Diocese Holy Year gathering in Yangsan in June 1974. From 1980, as industrial complexes were built in the Yangsan area and the population surged, the 7 pastor, Father Lee Ok-gun, brought back lapsed faithful through home visits and organized various groups such as the pastoral council, the Marian Association, the Legion of Mary and others. The Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia writes that in 1980 Father Lee Ok-gun (Thaddeo) took office as pastor and Father Park Tae-sik (Francisco) took office as assistant, so that for the first time 2 priests worked at Yangsan Church. The 8 pastor, Father Park Tae-sik, began construction of a rectory and catechesis rooms in February 1981 and completed a 2-story building (53 pyeong) in September (the Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia gives September 25 as the completion date), and the 10 pastor, Father Park Je-won, provided a branch house for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Mission in January 1984. The 11 pastor, Father Lee Gi-jeong, began construction of an education hall in June 1988 and completed a 2-story building (224 pyeong) in November, and also completed a Marian grotto east of the education hall.

[Since the 1990s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in July 1992 past priests and sisters were invited and the 25th anniversary of the parish foundation was celebrated. The 15 pastor, Father Jang Hyo-gang, planned a new church construction in September 1996, and began construction of a rectory and convent in April of the following year and construction of an education hall in September, completing the rectory-convent building (132 pyeong) and the education hall (73 pyeong) in August 1998 and holding a blessing ceremony. He then attempted a new church building project but decided not to proceed because of financial difficulties. The encyclopedia writes that from June 1999, as the Yangsan New Town was being formed, measures would have to be prepared for a sharp increase in the number of the faithful. According to the Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia, Ungsang Church was separated in 1996 and Deokgye Church was separated in 1999, and as the buildings became old and cramped, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new church building was held on July 9, 2005 and the dedication ceremony for the new Yangsan Church was held on December 17, 2006. The Yangsan Newspaper writes that Namyangsan Church was separated in 2011 and Bukyangsan Church was separated in 2014.

[Faith activities] According to the Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia, in April 2000 the unveiling ceremony for the monument to the martyr Kim Jong-gwon Simon was held, and Yangsan Church carries out pilgrimages to holy places every year to inspire the martyr spirit and takes the lead in the movement to honor the martyrs. It also provides church space for the growing number of foreign workers in the Yangsan area. Small community meetings, which the diocese promotes as a priority project, are held monthly in 11 districts and 50 groups, and groups such as the youth group, mothers’ association, Samdeokhoe, senior group, M.E., Holy Spirit prayer group, cell prayer group, Yeondohoe, Sacred Heart Society, military chaplaincy support association, vocation support association, altar servers’ mothers’ association, altar servers, catechumen catechesis class, Curia, Banseok football club, choir, liturgy committee, the Marian Association and others are active, it writes. The Yangsan Newspaper reported that on June 29, 2025 Yangsan Church held the ‘58th Parish Day Festival.’

[Jurisdiction and church statistics] The church statistics recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 489 faithful in 1967, 284 faithful in 1972, 520 faithful in 1978, 729 faithful in 1982, 1,432 faithful in 1989, 2,104 faithful in 1993, and 2,804 faithful in 1999. The jurisdiction at that time was the entire Sangbuk-myeon area and parts of Habuk-myeon and Dong-myeon. The “Yangsan Church” entry in the Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia gives the present jurisdiction as Gangseo-dong, Samseong-dong, Jungang-dong, Dong-myeon, Sangbuk-myeon, Habuk-myeon and others in Yangsan-si, and the number of the faithful as 4,428, while the “Catholic Church” entry gives the number of the faithful as of December 31, 2007 as 4,139. The encyclopedia records the patron as the Immaculate Heart of Mary, while the Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia writes that ‘devotion to Mary’ is enshrined as the patron saint.

[Successive pastors] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first Park Yu-sik Andrea (1967.12–1971.10), the 2 Wang Yeong-su Francisco (1971.10–1972.11), the 3 Yu Chang-ho Thomas (1972.11–1973.1), the 4 Lee Hong-gi John (1973.7–11), the 5 Kim Man-su John Bosco (1973.11–1974.6), the 6 Espinoza Joseph (1974.6–1980.2), the 7 Lee Ok-gun Thaddeo (1980.2–1981.2), the 8 Park Tae-sik Francisco (1981.2–1982.2), the 9 Lee Byeong-man Joseph (1982.2–1983.2), the 10 Park Je-won Alberto (1983.2–1986.2), the 11 Lee Gi-jeong Andrea (1986.2–1989.1), the 12 Lee Ok-gun (1989.1–1990.2), the 13 Han Yeong-il Nicolaus (1990.2–1992.2), the 14 Kim Ok-su Dominico (1992.2–1995.2), the 15 Jang Hyo-gang Antonio (1995.2–1999.1), and the 16 Kim Jong-yeop Barnaba (1999.1–) took office.

Architecture and Space

The present church was dedicated on December 17, 2006. The Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia writes that Yangsan Church is a building with a site area of 3,033 square meters and a total floor area of 2,709 square meters, with 1 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors.

The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records as parish facilities a 2-story church (117 pyeong) built in 1968, a rectory and catechesis rooms (53 pyeong) completed in 1981, an education hall (224 pyeong) completed in 1988 and a Marian grotto east of the education hall, and a rectory-convent (132 pyeong) and education hall (73 pyeong) completed in 1998.

At Yangsan Church there stands a monument to the martyr Kim Jong-gwon Simon (Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia).

Related Places and Figures

• Mulgeum Church: a parish separated from Yangsan Parish in November 1969 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Ungsang Church (1996), Deokgye Church (1999), Namyangsan Church (2011), Bukyangsan Church (2014): parishes separated from Yangsan Church (Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia, Yangsan Newspaper).
• Kim Jong-gwon (Simon): the first believer in the Yangsan area, who died as a victim of the Byeongin Persecution. The Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia writes that he opened a chapel in Gommal Village, Geumsan-ri, Dong-myeon, spread Catholicism, and was beheaded during the Byeongin Persecution.
• Beomsil Catholic mission chapel (1884) and Daeseok Catholic mission chapel (1896): early chapels in the Yangsan area (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Eonyang Church, Dongnae Church, Samrangjin Church: each had jurisdiction over the Yangsan Catholic mission chapel after 1927, around 1958, and after 1957 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Yangsan Parish”. Elevation to parish in 1967, early history and mission chapel era, church and facility construction process, church statistics, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4287
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia “Yangsan Church”. Founding year and founder, changes, construction year, separated parishes, activities and present state.
   https://yangsan.grandculture.net/yangsan/toc/GC01400424
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yangsan Culture Encyclopedia “Catholic Church”. Beginning of Yangsan Catholicism and chapel establishment, martyrdom of Kim Jong-gwon, changes in diocesan jurisdiction, major churches.
   https://yangsan.grandculture.net/yangsan/toc/GC01400418
4. Yangsan Newspaper, “Yangsan Church 58th Parish Day Festival” (2025.06.30). Description from the opening of the Yangsan mission chapel to parish elevation, church building completion, and separated parishes.
   https://www.yangsanilbo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=117522