Angseong Church

History & origins

The Catholic community in Angseong began as a mission station before the present parish existed. According to the Digital Chungju Culture Encyclopedia, Yongpo Mission Station, under Gamgok Parish, began in 1946 in the home of Thomas Mun Geun-yeol. In 1961 a chapel was built with funds from the American Elizabeth de Sauel. This shows the transition from a community meeting in a private home to one with its own space for worship.

As the number of Catholics increased, the mission station was elevated to parish status on July 1, 1966. The parish was closed on June 1, 1967, however, because of financial difficulties. The community thereafter continued again in the form of a mission station, and Angseong Parish was reestablished on June 24, 1995. That date is also recorded in the current parish information of the Diocese of Cheongju, so the local cultural source and diocesan record agree on the reestablishment.

After being reestablished, Angseong belonged for a time to the Eumseong District before being transferred to the Chungju District on April 9, 2007. Its passage from mission station to parish, back to mission-station status because of local circumstances, and finally to a restored parish many years later illustrates how Catholic pastoral structures in rural areas have been adjusted according to community size and practical conditions. Today’s Angseong Catholic Church stands on the history of a local faith community that endured through those changes.