Geumwang Catholic Church

Overview

Geumwang Church is a church located in Geumwang-eup, Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, belonging to the Diocese of Cheongju. It was separated and established from the Janghowon (now Gamgok) Parish on September 6, 1957, and its patron is St. John the Apostle. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that it had jurisdiction over 6 Catholic mission chapels in Saenggeuk, Maengdong, Yupo, Ssangbong, Bongam and Bondae.

History

〔Establishment of the Parish〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Geumwang Parish was separated and established from the Janghowon (now Gamgok) Parish on September 6, 1957. The Cheongju Diocese parish information also lists the establishment date as September 6, 1957. The first pastor was Father Raimundo Obarowski (R. Obarowski, O) (1957.9~1961.5).

〔Church and Convent〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1958 it purchased 2,867 pyeong of land for the present church site and newly built the church and the rectory, and on November 15, 1960, upon completing the convent, it opened a branch of the Pohang Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In August 1976 the Maryknoll Fathers who had been in charge of this parish withdrew, and Korean Father John Oh Woong-jin took office as the 8th pastor, and on November 1 of the same year the Neungsan mission chapel was newly built. On May 5, 1980, a new church was built.

〔Relationship with Kkotdongne〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on November 15, 1976, by newly building 5 households of the ‘House of Love’ and providing a living base for the homeless, present-day Kkotdongne began. On September 8, 1983, the present main Kkotdongne building was newly built in Ingok-ri, Maengdong-myeon, and on October 7, 1985, a psychiatric ward was newly built to shelter and treat the mentally ill. On January 6, 1987, the operation of Geumwang Parish and Kkotdongne was separated.

〔After the Late 1980s〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1987 it established the Bondae mission chapel (Bondae-ri, Geumwang-eup) and in the same year newly built the convent, and in 1988 it computerized parish administration. On October 28, 1990, it demolished the old church and rectory and on August 13 of the following year completed the rectory and the education hall. On November 26, 1992, the convent building was lost to fire, and in its place a nursery and a hall were newly built and completed in December 1994.

〔Church Statistics and Successive Pastors〕 The statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are 2,815 persons in 1989 and 2,752 persons in 1993. The jurisdiction is listed as Geumwang-eup and Maengdong-myeon in Eumseong-gun and part of Saenggeuk-myeon. The successive pastors are the first Raimundo Obarowski (1957.9~1961.5), the 2nd Alfredo Keane (A. Keane, Kim In-seon) (1961.5~1962.1), the 3rd Alberto Rauckhorst (A.R. Rauckhorst, Gye Seong-sik) (1962.1~1965.3), the 4th John Murphy (J. Murphy, Sim) (1965.3~1967.8), the 5th Roberto Pellini (R. Pellini, Bang) (1967.8~1970.11), the 6th Ricardo Rolewicz (R. Rolewicz, No) (1970.11~1974.7), the 7th Leo Decman (L. Decman, Ma) (1974.7~1976.8), the 8th John Oh Woong-jin (1976.8~1987.1), the 9th Joseph Lee Beom-su (1987.1~1988.11), the 10th Benedict Park Hyo-cheol (1988.11~1991.8), the 11th Timotheo Choi Sang-hun (1991.8~1993.8) and the 12th Raphael Lee Myeong-jae (1993.8~).

Related Places and People

• Gamgok Church (former Janghowon Parish): The mother parish from which Geumwang Parish was separated in 1957 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Kkotdongne: It began when Father John Oh Woong-jin, the 8th pastor of Geumwang Parish, newly built the ‘House of Love’ in 1976, and its operation was separated from the parish in 1987 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Neungsan mission chapel and Bondae mission chapel: Mission chapels of Geumwang Parish, respectively with a chapel newly built in 1976 and established in 1987 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Geumwang Parish” (Vol. 2). Establishment of the parish in 1957, construction of the church and convent, beginning of Kkotdongne, church statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/796
2. Diocese of Cheongju, parish information “Geumwang Church”. Establishment date September 6, 1957, patron St. John the Apostle.
   https://www.cdcj.or.kr/parish/parish/view/23030