Jincheon Church

Overview

Jincheon Church is a church belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Cheongju, located in Gyoseong-ri, Jincheon-eup, Jincheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. It was established in 1956 after separating from Jeungpyeong Parish, its patron is the Assumption of Mary, and the church and rectory were built with support from the Maryknoll Society for Foreign Missions. It has jurisdiction over the Baekgok and Chopyeong Catholic mission chapels.

History

[Parish establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father J. Gibbons (Joseph), the 6 pastor of Cheongju Parish (present-day Seoun-dong), planned the division of the parish and, with aid from his religious congregation, the Maryknoll Society for Foreign Missions, in 1955 purchased 4,953 pyeong of land at the present parish site and began construction of the church and rectory in February. On June 1, 1956, the church was completed and the dedication ceremony was held, and at the same time Jincheon Parish was established, with Father W. Booth (Guglielmo) taking office as the first pastor. The opening of the encyclopedia states that Jincheon Parish was separated and established from Jeungpyeong Parish on June 1, 1956. The Digital Jincheon Culture Encyclopedia also records the establishment date as June 1, 1956, explaining that at the time of establishment the site was 10,909 square meters, the buildings including the church and rectory totaled 463 square meters, and the number of faithful at the opening exceeded 1,300. The Cheongju Diocese parish information lists the establishment date as April 30, 1956.

[Early ministry] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father W. Ahearn (Guglielmo), the 2 pastor, sought to enliven the activities of the faithful by launching the Sacred Heart Women’s Association (in May 1958) and the Youth Association (in March 1960), and in April 1961 newly built a convent with a floor area of 25.6 pyeong. Father J. Coffey (John), the 3 pastor, purchased 95 pyeong of land for the Saeul mission chapel in March 1963 and built a school for the deaf in August 1964. The Digital Jincheon Culture Encyclopedia records that in 1961 Father Lee Jung-geon, a native of Jincheon Church, was ordained a priest and a convent was installed in the same year, and that the school for the deaf founded in 1964 was integrated with the school for the deaf in Chungju in 1971. Father M. Duggan (Michael), the 4 pastor, launched the Wonsensiohoe in November 1966 and expanded the rectory, and in December purchased 101 pyeong of land for the Gwanghyewon mission chapel. In August 1968 the old convent was demolished and in 1969 a convent with a floor area of 48.1 pyeong and an auditorium with a floor area of 27.52 pyeong were newly built, and in the same year the rectory and basement were newly built and a student association was launched. The school for the deaf was integrated into the parish in Yahyeon-dong, Chungju (present-day Gyohyeon-dong) in March 1971.

[The 1970-1980s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father J. De Fino (James), the 5 pastor, completed the main gate of the church in September 1971, expanded the confessional in 1972, and sold land at Gyoseong-ri lots 45-2 and 45-5. In September of the same year he sold the Munbaek mission chapel, and in February of the following year opened the Seongmo Kindergarten (the Digital Jincheon Culture Encyclopedia records the establishment of Seongmo Kindergarten in 1973). In April 1974 he purchased 180 pyeong of land for the Sinwol mission chapel and merged the Baeti mission chapel into the Baekgok mission chapel. Father Jang Bong-hun (Gabriel), the 6 pastor, expanded the rectory and newly built a small meeting room in September 1977, newly built the Choryeong mission chapel in January 1978, and repaired the Sinwon mission chapel in March 1979. Father Park Jong-heum (Stephen), the 7 pastor, held the parish 25 anniversary celebration in August 1980 and launched the Farmers’ Association in the same month and the Association for the Deceased in November 1981, and promoted the development of the Baeti Shrine from 1980 to 1982. Father Park Yong-su (Paul), the 8 pastor, launched the choir in March 1983 and repaired the auditorium in May 1984 and the parish convent in July 1986. Father Lee Hyeon-ro (Thomas Aquinas), the 9 pastor, began the parish expansion work in June 1989, completed it in October, and cleared the church site in December.

[Since the 1990s and the divided parishes] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, during the tenure of Father Lee Seung-yong (Matthew), the 10 pastor, Samsong Parish was newly established in June 1991 and the Gwanghyewon mission chapel was transferred to Samsong Parish. In February 1992 the parish land was computerized, in August 1993 the entire Munbaek area was incorporated into Ochang Parish, in March 1994 the annex was repaired, and in June the parish boundaries were surveyed and boundary wire-mesh facilities were installed. Father Kim Won-u (Ludovico), the 11 pastor, completed the Iwol mission chapel building in September 1994 and the Deoksan mission chapel building in March 1995, each as a 20-pyeong prefabricated building, and as a project commemorating the parish 40 anniversary held the groundbreaking ceremony in April 1995 for an education hall with a floor area of 80 pyeong. In July 1995 Iwol Parish was separated and established, with 975 faithful transferred, in December a prefabricated dining hall was completed, and in March 1996 the Seongmo Daycare Center was expanded and repaired, with a blessing ceremony held in June. During the tenure of Father Park Chang-hwan (Camillo), the 12 pastor, in February 1997 part of the parish jurisdiction was incorporated into Iwol Parish, with 175 faithful transferred, in March the Seongmo Daycare Center was opened, and in March 1999 the daycare center, office, and rectory were expanded and in October a central-supply oil tank was installed.

[The 2000s] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Kim Ung-ryeol (Thomas Aquinas), the 13 pastor, installed heating and cooling facilities in May 2000 and newly built the Marian grotto and the religious-goods house in November, replaced telephones and worked on lines in March 2001, and paved the access road in August. In January 2002 he founded the Joseph Scholarship Association, and for two months from September carried out copper-plate work on the bell tower and marble flooring work on the interior floor of the church. From June 2003, more than 340 faithful hand-copied the Scriptures to produce a large handwritten Bible, holding a consecration ceremony in August.

[Jurisdiction and church statistics] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is all of Chopyeong-myeon and Baekgok-myeon and parts of Jincheon-eup and Munbaek-myeon, with 2 mission chapels under its jurisdiction, the Baekgok and Chopyeong mission chapels. Church statistics are 1,321 in 1956, 2,794 in 1962, 3,521 in 1968, 2,995 in 1974, 2,972 in 1980, 3,413 in 1986, 3,543 in 1992, 2,737 in 1998, and 3,132 in 2003. The Digital Jincheon Culture Encyclopedia gives the present jurisdiction as parts of Jincheon-eup, Munbaek-myeon, Baekgok-myeon, Chopyeong-myeon, Iwol-myeon, and Deoksan-myeon, the population under jurisdiction as about 6 ten thousand, the total number of faithful as 3,624 (about 6% of the population under jurisdiction), and introduces activities such as encouraging non-believers to enter the faith, volunteer visits to welfare facilities and hospitals, the Mothers’ Association bazaar, summer Bible school, feasts for the elderly, Youth Association climbing events, and adult sports meetings.

[Successive pastors] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the following took office: the first, Guglielmo Booth (1956.6-1957.5), 2 Guglielmo Ahearn (1957.5-1962.8), 3 John Coffey (1962.8-1966.6), 4 Michael Duggan (1966.7-1971.6), 5 James De Fino (1971.6-1976.8), 6 Gabriel Jang Bong-hun (1976.9-1979.4), 7 Stephen Park Jong-heum (1979.4-1983.1), 8 Paul Park Yong-su (1983.1-1987.5), 9 Thomas Aquinas Lee Hyeon-ro (1987.5-1991.5), 10 Matthew Lee Seung-yong (1991.5-1994.7), 11 Ludovico Kim Won-u (1994.7-1996.6), 12 Camillo Park Chang-hwan (1996.6-2000.1), and 13 Thomas Aquinas Kim Ung-ryeol (2000.1-).

Related places and people

• Baeti Shrine and Baeti mission chapel: the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the Baeti mission chapel was integrated into the Baekgok mission chapel in 1974, and that Father Park Jong-heum, the 7 pastor, promoted the development of the Baeti Shrine from 1980 to 1982.
• Jeungpyeong Church: described as the mother parish from which Jincheon Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Samsung Church (1991.6) and Iwol Church (1995.7): parishes separated and established from Jincheon Church (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Ochang Church: in August 1993 the entire Munbaek area was incorporated from Jincheon Parish into Ochang Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Maryknoll Society for Foreign Missions: the religious congregation of Father Gibbons, which aided the land purchase and church construction (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Jincheon Parish”. Establishment of the parish in 1956, the process of building the church and rectory, the ministry and construction work of the pastors by period, the divided parishes, church statistics, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5852
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Jincheon Culture Encyclopedia “Jincheon Church”. Establishment date June 1, 1956, site and building scale and number of faithful at establishment, school for the deaf and Seongmo Kindergarten, present status.
   https://jincheon.grandculture.net/jincheon/toc/GC02701114
3. Catholic Diocese of Cheongju, parish information “Jincheon Church”. Establishment date April 30, 1956, patron saint the Assumption of Mary.
   https://www.cdcj.or.kr/parish/parish/view/23045