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About this place
Naedeok-dong Cathedral is both the cathedral of the Diocese of Cheongju, where the bishop’s cathedra is located, and the church of a local parish community. The diocese’s official record uses the name Naedeok-dong Cathedral and identifies the Holy Family as its patron. As the bishop’s church, a cathedral has a role distinct from that of an ordinary parish church: it combines the everyday liturgical life of local parishioners with the major liturgical and symbolic life of the diocese as a whole.
It is therefore important to understand the church in both of its dimensions, as cathedral and parish. It is the local parish in which Catholics of Naedeok-dong live their faith around Mass and the sacraments, while also serving as a central place expressing the unity of the Diocese of Cheongju. Its parish identity under the patronage of the Holy Family continues alongside this diocesan role.
History & origins
Naedeok-dong Parish was established on August 15, 1957, when it was separated from the then Cheongju Parish. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records this as the beginning of the parish that became the cathedral parish of Cheongju, and the early community developed its foundations and church building with the missionary work and support of the Maryknoll Fathers.
The present church building was begun with a cornerstone ceremony on August 22, 1960, and was dedicated on October 11, 1961. Architectural history compiled by the Research Foundation of Korean Church History notes that it was built with financial and technical support from Maryknoll and became an important example of Catholic church architecture in the Cheongju region. When the Catholic hierarchy was formally established in Korea on March 10, 1962, the church was elevated to the cathedral of the Diocese of Cheongju.
As the diocese and city grew, the parish’s territory was divided. In 1964 the Naesu mission station within its jurisdiction became a separate parish. In 1970, with the installation of Bishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, the transfer of pastoral governance of the Diocese of Cheongju from Maryknoll to Korean clergy marked another important change connected with this cathedral. Naedeok 1-dong Parish was later separated in 1987, followed by Sacheon-dong Parish in 1991, as the parish network of Cheongju became more differentiated.
This chronology shows that Naedeok-dong Cathedral witnessed not only the growth of a parish but also the consolidation of the Diocese of Cheongju, the establishment of its cathedral, and the transition from the missionary era to diocesan leadership centered on Korean clergy.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Naedeok-dong Cathedral: history and architecture
Read about the place's history, architecture, people, and events in the Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia articles are currently available in Korean.
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- Data freshness
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- Last updated
- Source
- Francisco Diary
Diocese
Cheongju Diocese (Diocese of Cheongju)
Official website: https://www.cdcj.or.kr
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