Eumseong Catholic Church

Overview

Eumseong Church is a church in Eupnae-ri, Eumseong-eup, Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, belonging to the Diocese of Cheongju. Separated from Chungju Parish (now Gyohyeon-dong Parish), it was established as a parish in the middle of the 1950 decade, and its patron is the Mother of God. It grew under the pastoral care of priests of the Maryknoll Missionaries.

History

[Site selection and church construction] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1952 Father J. Pardy of the Maryknoll Missionaries visited the Eumseong area, then under the jurisdiction of Chungju Parish, and selected a former orchard site (land on the right side of the entrance to what is now Eumseong High School) as the church site. In April of the following year, the sites for the new church and rectory were purchased, and in October 1954 construction of the new buildings began while additional land for the larger site was also purchased. On June 29, 1955, construction of the church and rectory was completed, and the dedication ceremony was celebrated by Bishop Paul Noh Gi-nam. The encyclopedia records that Eumseong Parish was separated and established from Chungju (now Gyohyeon-dong) Parish on June 29, 1955.

[Accounts of the founding period by source] The “Eumseong Church” entry in the Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia gives the founding year as December 20, 1954, and states that in October 1954 the church and rectory were completed and Father Gwak of Maryknoll took office. The “Church” entry in the same encyclopedia states that Eumseong Church was established as a parish on December 20, 1954, centered on the Oseong-dong (Jeommal) Catholic mission chapel and the Soi Catholic mission chapel. The Cheongju Diocese parish information lists the establishment date as October 22, 1954. The “Catholic Church” entry in the Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia states that Catholicism in the Eumseong area was first under the jurisdiction of Janghowon Parish (now Gamgok Church), which had moved its mission station from ‘Bueonggol’ in 1896, and that Janghowon Parish contributed greatly to the spread of doctrine until Eumseong Church was newly established in 1954.

[1950 ~ 1970 decades] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a convent was built in November 1957, and in 1962, as the number of believers increased and church expansion was required, land for a Marian garden was purchased, a statue of Our Lady was erected, and the church was expanded. In the 1960 decade, emphasis was placed on Catholic mission chapel ministry, and a considerable number of Catholic mission chapel buildings were prepared, including those in Bocheon, Yadong, Soi, Deoksaeng and Buljeong. In the 1970 decade, efforts were made to foster devotion through retreats and pilgrimages to holy places, and as part of local mission, a kindergarten was founded in March 1981 and produced more than 200 graduates over 4 years. During the tenure of Father Tynan, the 6 parish priest, part of the church was remodeled into a study room and opened to believing and non-believing students in the area. The Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia regards the period when Father Gerard Gu left for Jecheon on July 15, 1963 and Father Roberto Bang took office as the time of growth and development for Eumseong Church, and records that on June 1, 1972 Father Donald Ma left for Seoul and Father John Nam of Maryknoll took office. The same encyclopedia states that Father Nam generously served meat and food to hungry young people from a small ranch he operated.

[1980 ~ 2000 decades] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1980 lay groups including the Legion of Mary were organized, district and small-group structures were formed, and re-education of believers was carried out, and faith lectures with invited outside speakers during Advent and Lent were well received. In January 1982 a warehouse was remodeled into a meeting room and in March 1983 a sacristy was newly built, and in August 1984 continuous Eucharistic adoration was held for a week and the present convent was completed and blessed. Because the church building had aged, full repair work was done in August 1985, and in March 1986 successive Eucharistic adoration was carried out by district, small-group and lay-group units, and in December 1987 a rectory was newly built and blessed. The Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia records that in 1982 former Father Peter Gwon O-jeong left and parish priest Father Pius Shin Sun-geun took office, and Eumseong Parish began to find stability, and that on February 11, 1991 Father Peter Yun Byeong-hun left for Gyohyeon Parish in Chungju and Father Michael Im Jeong-jin from Judeok Parish took office. During the tenure of the 12 parish priest, Father Lawrence Jo Seong-hak, the campaign to send parish bulletins to enlisted soldiers (August 1993) and the campaign to send letters of love to North Korean compatriots (March 1995) were carried out, and in May 1996 a parish vehicle was purchased, making mission work in Catholic mission chapels and outlying areas easier, and in February of the following year visits to lapsed believers began by district. From January 2000 the Samcheon movement to help North Korean compatriots was practiced on the last week of each month, and in April 2001 the Legion of Mary Mother of Good Counsel was newly established.

[Jurisdiction and church statistics] The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is Eumseong-eup, Soi-myeon and Wonnam-myeon in Eumseong-gun, and Buljeong-myeon in Goesan-gun. Church statistics are: in 1965, 2,098 people; in 1971, 1,829 people; in 1976, 2,162 people; in 1980, 908 people; in 1985, 1,712 people; in 1990, 1,941 people; in 1995, 2,189 people; in 2000, 2,717 people. The “Church” entry in the Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia records the jurisdiction as Eumseong-eup, Soi-myeon, Wonnam-myeon and Aengcheon-ri in Buljeong-myeon, Goesan-gun, the population under jurisdiction as 26,660 people and the total number of believers as 2,714 people, and the “Eumseong Church” entry records that it consists of 1 parish priests, 1 sisters in charge, 1 evangelizing sisters, and lay apostolic groups (10 Curiae, 6 directly attached Praesidia). The same entry introduces projects such as encouragement of non-believers to enter the faith and encouragement of conversion, volunteer visits to welfare facilities and hospitals, volunteer food preparation for the Seolseong Cultural Festival, the Mothers’ Association bazaar, summer Bible school, feasts for the elderly, youth group climbing meetings, and adult sports meetings.

[Successive parish priests] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first G. Coxen (Gwak) Gervase (1955.6 ~ 1959.5), acting V. J. Hoffman (Ha) Vincent (1957 ~ 1958.12), the 2 parish priest G. Kennedy (Gu) Gerard (1959.5 ~ 1963.7), the 3 parish priest R. Pellini (Bang) Robert (1963.7 ~ 1966.8), the 4 parish priest J. Coffey (Gopil) John (1966.8 ~ 1970.11), acting Lawrence Lee Han-gu (1968.7 ~ 1969.5), the 5 parish priest D. McInnis (Ma) Donald (1970.11 ~ 1972.6), the 6 parish priest J. Tynan (Nam) John (1972.6 ~ 1975.4), the 7 parish priest D. Goulet (Gu Jeguk) Donald (1975.4 ~ 1979.5), the 8 parish priest Peter Gwon O-jeong (1979.5 ~ 1982.4), the 9 parish priest Pius Shin Sun-geun (1982.4 ~ 1984.8), the 10 parish priest Peter Yun Byeong-hun (1984.8 ~ 1991.2), the 11 parish priest Michael Im Jeong-jin (1991.2 ~ 1993.4), the 12 parish priest Lawrence Jo Seong-hak (1993.4 ~ 1995.6), the 13 parish priest Charles Im Seung-cheol (1995.6 ~ 1996.4), the 14 parish priest Evaristus Park Cheong-il (1996.4 ~ 1999.7), and the 15 parish priest Michael Shin Gwang-ho (1999.7 ~ ) took office.

Related Places and Figures

• Chungju Parish (now Gyohyeon-dong Parish): the mother parish to which the Eumseong area belonged before Eumseong Parish was separated from it (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia).
• Oseong-dong Catholic mission chapel (Jeommal) and Soi Catholic mission chapel: the Catholic mission chapels that formed the center when Eumseong Church was established as a parish (Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia “Church”).
• Janghowon Parish (now Gamgok Church): it first had jurisdiction over the Eumseong area from 1896 and contributed to the spread of doctrine until Eumseong Church was newly established in 1954 (Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia “Catholic Church”).
• Maryknoll Missionaries: the society to which Father Pardy and the early parish priests of Eumseong Church belonged (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bocheon, Yadong, Soi, Deoksaeng and Buljeong Catholic mission chapels: the Catholic mission chapels for which buildings were prepared in the 1960 decade (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Church History Research Institute of Korea, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Eumseong Parish”. Parish establishment and church dedication in 1955, facility construction and ministry by period, jurisdiction, church statistics, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4971
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia “Eumseong Church”. Founding year December 20, 1954, changes, current status and projects.
   https://eumseong.grandculture.net/eumseong/toc/GC01101823
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia “Church”. Churches in Eumseong-gun, establishment of Eumseong Church as a parish, jurisdiction and number of believers.
   https://eumseong.grandculture.net/eumseong/toc/GC01101817
4. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Eumseong Culture Encyclopedia “Catholic Church”. Introduction of Catholicism to the Eumseong area and jurisdiction by Janghowon Parish.
   https://eumseong.grandculture.net/eumseong/toc/GC01101807
5. Cheongju Diocese, parish information “Eumseong Church”. Establishment date October 22, 1954, patron Mother of God.
   https://www.cdcj.or.kr/parish/parish/view/23042