Byeolyang-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Byeoryang-dong Church is a church in Byeoryang-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Anyang 2 District of the 2 Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese. On January 30, 1998, it was separated from its mother parish, Gwacheon Holy Family Church, and established under the provisional name of Gwacheon 2 Church; its patron is St. Francis of Assisi, and the chapel on the 6 floor of Saeseoul Shopping was blessed on May 26, 2001 at a Mass presided over by Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi.

History

〔Foundation〕 The history on the Byeoryang-dong Church website states that on January 30, 1998 the provisional Gwacheon 2 Church was established and Fr. Alberto Ryu Deok-hyeon took office as the first pastor. At that time there were 2,008 households and 4,767 faithful (1,910 men and 2,857 women). The establishment date in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory is also 1998.01.30. The overview lists the mother parish as Gwacheon Holy Family Church in the Anyang 2 District of the 2 Vicariate.

〔Rented facilities and parish name〕 On February 18, 1998 a rectory was rented, and on March 10 an interim pastoral council leadership was appointed (chair Paul Cho Dong-se and Marian Association president Dominica Jeong Yeong-bok). On April 11 there was an adult baptism at the Easter Vigil (87 persons), and on April 12 386 households made offerings at the joint Easter Sunday Mass. On May 31 notice was received that, by the decision of the priests’ council (May 12), the official name of the parish had been confirmed as Byeoryang-dong Catholic Church. On January 13, 1999 a convent was rented.

〔First church move and blessing〕 On July 14, 1998 demolition of the structures and construction for the new church began, and on August 12 a rock grotto in the Marian garden was built. On August 16 the community moved to the new chapel and celebrated the first Masses (9 o’clock middle- and high-school student Mass, 11 o’clock parish Mass, 19 o’clock youth Mass), and on September 6 the blessing of the chapel was celebrated with Paul Choi Deok-gi, Bishop of Suwon, presiding. On October 11 there was the welcoming and enrollment ceremony for the 1 group of catechumens, on October 22 the bishop made a pastoral visit, and on November 1 the 1 Unity Festival was held at Munwon Middle School (about 1 thousand participants).

〔Patron and parish symbols〕 On September 14, 1999 St. Francis of Assisi was approved as parish patron. The parish mark was made and used on December 12, 1999, and the website explains that the logo is in a woodblock-print style font written in 1998 by calligrapher Gilberto Park Han-chun, and the symbol was designed on December 12, 1999 by Cirillo Lee Gap-u. The website’s explanation of the logo says the woodblock-print font expresses the wish that all parishioners of Byeoryang-dong Church devote themselves to spreading the Gospel for the evangelization of the Gwacheon area and the world, and it explains that the circle of the symbol means the Eucharist, the whole world and the unity of the community, the cross means the church, the cross of the Resurrection and the spread of the Gospel, and the saint holding the Bible in one hand and having received the Holy Spirit in the other means an active life of faith.

〔Church on the 6 floor of Saeseoul Shopping〕 On April 4, 2000 a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was enshrined, on July 23 construction work at Saeseoul began, and on August 13 the building committee officers were appointed (chair Paul Cho Dong-se). On November 14 construction of the chapel on the 6 floor of the Saeseoul Shopping Center began. On February 10, 2001 the move to the chapel (6 floor of Saeseoul Shopping) was completed and the first Mass was celebrated there, and on May 26, 2001 the dedication of the chapel (6 floor of Saeseoul Shopping) was celebrated with Paul Choi Deok-gi, Bishop of Suwon, presiding. On July 3, 2001 Bishop Choi Deok-gi made a pastoral visit, and on December 2 confirmation (317 persons) was celebrated with Bishop Choi Deok-gi presiding in the grand theater of the Gwacheon Arts Hall.

〔From 2002 to 2010〕 On January 29, 2002 the 2 pastor, Fr. John Bosco Hong Chang-jin, and the first assistant priest, Fr. Peter Kim Seon-bok, took office. On September 19, 2003 Fr. John the Apostle Ju Hyeon-ha, a son of the parish, was ordained a priest at Jeongja-dong Cathedral, and on September 21 he celebrated his first Mass in the grand theater of the Gwacheon Civic Hall. On September 23, 2005 Fr. Andrew Daegeon Lee Dae-hui took office as the 3 pastor. On September 17, 2006 an adoration chapel was opened, and on December 3 the parish bulletin, Sky Magpie, was first published. On March 18, 2007 the jurisdictions of Gwacheon Church and Byeoryang-dong Church were readjusted so that the whole area south of the main road, except Munwon-dong complexes 1 and 2, belongs to Byeoryang-dong Church, and on June 14 the approval of the request for readjustment was received. On August 22, 2008 Fr. Peter Han Jeong-uk, a son of the parish, was ordained a priest and on August 24 celebrated his first Mass in the parish, and on September 2 Fr. Martino Kim Il-u took office as the 4 pastor. On February 15, 2009 the commemorative booklet for the 10 anniversary of Byeoryang-dong Church, Sky Magpie, was published. On May 4, 2010 Fr. Paul Kim Hyeong-tae took office as acting pastor, and on July 8 Fr. James Kim Ji-min, a son of the parish, was ordained a priest at Myeongdong Church and on July 11 celebrated his first Mass. On August 31, 2010 Fr. Joseph Kim Seung-ho took office as the 5 pastor.

〔From 2011 to 2018〕 On March 17, 2011 the Silver Academy was opened, and on May 13, 2012 Gwacheon Church and Byeoryang-dong Church held a joint unity festival. On October 3, 2013 the parish took part in the celebration assembly for the 50 anniversary of the establishment of the Suwon Diocese. On June 23, 2015 Fr. Lazarus Yun Yong-bae took office as the 6 pastor. On June 25, 2017 at the Parish Day event with the bishop, the site for the new church building was blessed. On May 30, 2018 there was the blessing of the crucifix, the statue of the Virgin Mary and the 14 Stations of the Cross of the 2 church building, and on June 15, in accordance with the decree on the revision of diocesan organization through the reform of the vicariate system, the affiliation changed from the Gwacheon-Uiwang District of the Anyang Vicariate to the Anyang 2 District of the 2 Vicariate. On September 16, 2018 confirmation was celebrated in the outdoor Mass area of the 2 church building with Matthias Lee Yong-hun, diocesan bishop, presiding.

〔After 2020〕 On June 16, 2020 Fr. Gabriel Lee Gwang-hui took office as the 7 pastor, and in the same year on December 12 Fr. Gregory Kim Jeong-hwan, a son of the parish, was ordained (list of parish priests on the website). On July 3, 2022 Bishop John the Baptist Moon Hee-jong made a pastoral visit to the parish. On June 18, 2024 Fr. Benedict Park Gyeong-min took office as the 8 pastor.

Related places and people

• Gwacheon Holy Family Church (Gwacheon Church): it is the mother parish of Byeoryang-dong Church (parish overview). In 2007 the two parishes readjusted their jurisdictions, and in 2012 they held a joint unity festival (website history).
• Patron: the website introduces St. Francis, born in Assisi in Umbria, Italy, who in 1210 began the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan Order) recognized by Pope Innocent 3, in 1224 received the stigmata on Mount La Verna, died on October 3, 1226 and was canonized in 1228 by Pope Gregory 9. His feast day is October 4.
• Religious congregation: the directory lists the congregation serving Byeoryang-dong Church as the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi. The website history records on July 15, 2005 the groundbreaking of the Pyeongchang novitiate of the Franciscan Sisters of Assisi.
• Priests from the parish: John the Apostle Ju Hyeon-ha (ordained 2003.9.19), Peter Han Jeong-uk (2008.8.22), James Kim Ji-min (2010.7.8), Gregory Kim Jeong-hwan (2020.12.12) (website priests page).
• Former pastors: 1st Alberto Ryu Deok-hyeon 1998.1.30–2002.1.28, 2 John Bosco Hong Chang-jin 2002.1.29–2005.9.22, 3 Andrew Daegeon Lee Dae-hui 2005.9.23–2008.9.1, 4 Martino Kim Il-u 2008.9.2–2010.5.4, acting pastor Paul Kim Hyeong-tae 2010.5.4–2010.8.30, 5 Joseph Kim Seung-ho 2010.8.31–2015.6.22, 6 Lazarus Yun Yong-bae 2015.6.23–2020.6.15, 7 Gabriel Lee Gwang-hui 2020.6.16–2024.6.17, 8 Benedict Park Gyeong-min 2024.6.18–present (website priests page).
• Former assistant priests: Peter Kim Seon-bok 2002.1.29–2003.1.27, Joseph An Sang-il 2002.1.29–2003.1.27, Joseph Seo Yong-seok 2003.9.30–2004.9.30, Benedict Kim Ui-tae 2008.9.2–2009.9.7, Michael Seo Yong-un 2009.9.7–2010.8.31, Andrew Ryu Dong-hwan 2010.8.30–2011.8.29, Matthias Jeon Hyeon-su 2011.8.30–2012.12.17, John the Apostle Go Seong-eun 2012.12.18–2013.12.16, Francis Kim Byeong-seok 2013.12.17–2015.12.14, Celestino Yu Gyeong-seon 2015.12.15–2016.12.19, John Bosco Yu Byeong-guk 2016.12.20–2018.12.17, Vincent Sin Seon-ung 2018.12.18–2020.12.14, Raphael Seong Gi-baek 2020.12.15–2022.12.19, Mark Jeong Pung-mo 2022.12.20–2024.12.16, Joseph Kim Do-u 2024.12.17–2025.12.15, Gregory Kim Hui-seong 2025.12.16–2026.6.15 (same page). The same page states that assistant priest Mark Jang Jin-seok took office on June 16, 2026.

References and sources

1. Byeoryang-dong Catholic Church website, History (1998–2026). Parish foundation, first church move and blessing, approval of patron, dedication of the chapel on the 6 floor of Saeseoul Shopping, readjustment of jurisdiction, ordinations of parish priests, changes of pastors.
   https://assisi.or.kr/history
2. Byeoryang-dong Catholic Church website, Overview. Foundation January 30, 1998, dedication May 26, 2001 (Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi), patron and feast day, mother parish, change of affiliation.
   https://assisi.or.kr/overview
3. Byeoryang-dong Catholic Church website, Priests. Former pastors and assistant priests and priests from the parish.
   https://assisi.or.kr/archives/priest_category/%ec%8b%a0%eb%b6%80%eb%8b%98
4. Byeoryang-dong Catholic Church website, guide to patron, logo and symbol. Introduction to St. Francis of Assisi and meaning and makers of logo and symbol.
   https://assisi.or.kr/francis-of-assisi
5. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory, Byeoryang-dong. Date of establishment 1998.1.30., affiliation Suwon Diocese 2 Vicariate Anyang 2 District, religious congregation, patron, number of faithful, number of Catholic mission chapels.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201000505&gubun=4