Sajik-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Sajik-dong Church is a church in Sajik-dong, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, belonging to the Diocese of Cheongju. Separated and established from Sudong Parish on September 28, 1974, its patron is St. James the Apostle. In June 1990 it was changed to Sajik2-dong Parish, then in February 1998 it reverted to Sajik-dong Parish, the name at the time of its founding.

History

[Background of foundation] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the resident population in Sajik-dong and Sachang-dong within the jurisdiction of Sudong Parish rose sharply in the late 1960s, the diocese purchased land at the site of the present Chungbuk Gymnasium in order to establish a new parish, but construction of a new church became impossible because of urban planning. After consultation with the city of Cheongju, the diocese exchanged the existing land for 1,500 pyeong of land in the Sajik2-dong area and established Sajik2-dong Parish on September 28, 1974. The Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia writes that as Sudong Church expanded, the need for Cheongju’s 4 church emerged and land was secured at the present location on condition of exchange with the sports complex site.

[Church construction] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, having no place to offer the first Mass, the faithful borrowed the basement of the diocesan office annex and celebrated the first Mass on October 16, 1974, formed a church construction promotion committee, and held the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church on November 10. On March 2, 1975 the parish bulletin was first published, and on September 25 the church (103 pyeong) and the rectory (42 pyeong) were completed and the dedication ceremony was held. The Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia writes that the church dedication ceremony was held in September 1975.

[Division and subsequent history] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on May 5, 1980 the patron saint was changed to St. James the Apostle, and on March 1 of the following year the parish patron and the diocesan patron were united. As the number of faithful grew, Sachang-dong Parish was separated on July 3, 1981 with 933 parish registers transferred, and on November 18 of the same year a branch convent of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres was established. On May 18, 1986, when Bongmyeong-dong Parish was separated from Sachang-dong Parish, the jurisdiction was readjusted. In 1988, Mochung Hall was built, in October of the following year the campaign to offer 100 ten thousand Rosary prayers was completed, and in March 1990 the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Marian garden were built, and in April the St. Dominic Education Hall, a prefabricated building of 150 pyeong, was built. On June 3, 1990, Sajik1-dong Parish (now Heungdeok-dong) was separated with more than 1,500 parish registers transferred. The Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia records the division date of Sajik1-dong Parish as April 22, 1990, which differs from the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia.

[New church construction and thereafter] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the church building became old and small, the groundbreaking Mass for new construction was offered on March 6, 1994, and on April 22, 1995 a single-story church of 330 pyeong was completed and the dedication ceremony was held. In October 1997 the Marian grotto was created. The Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia writes that on July 17, 1984 the women’s association was renamed the Marian Association and on September 20 of the same year the “10-Year History of Sajik-dong Parish” was published, on August 10, 1986 the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was blessed, on March 29, 1998 the mission committee office was opened, in December 2001 the education hall was newly built, and on March 2, 2003 the homepage was opened.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] The church statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 1,401 in 1974, 1,981 in 1980, 1,263 in 1982, 2,463 in 1987, 2,239 in 1992, and 2,740 in 1996. The successive pastors were the first Michael M. Zunno (Ju Eun-ro) (1974.10–1976.11), the 2 pastor Michael M. Duggan (Kang Deok-hyeon) (1977.1–1978.2), the 3 pastor James J. Najmowski (Na Hyeon-cheol) (1978.2–1982.8), the 4 pastor John Gwak Dong-cheol (1982.9–1986.4), the 5 pastor John Bosco Kim Dong-il (1986.4–1991.5), the 6 pastor Thomas Aquinas Lee Hyeon-ro (1991.5–1995.11), the 7 pastor Casimir Song Yeol-seop (1995.11–1996.4), and the 8 pastor Donato Kim Gwon-il (1996.4– ). The jurisdiction covers all of Sajik2-dong and parts of Mochung-dong and Gaesin-dong.

[Present state] According to the Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia, it has jurisdiction over Sajik2-dong, parts of Mochung-dong and Gaesin-dong, and part of the Seonu Apartments area, with a total of 3,218 faithful. It regards the family community as a small church, places emphasis on pre-marriage education and couple education, and has the parish council, the Marian Association, the Joseph Association, Ultreya, the Association for the Deceased, the prison sponsorship association, cell meetings, ME, the choir, the Vincentian Society, the altar server group, and others.

Related places and people

• Sudong Church: the mother parish from which Sajik-dong Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia).
• Sachang-dong Church: the parish separated from Sajik-dong Parish on July 3, 1981 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Heungdeok-dong Church (former Sajik1-dong Parish): the parish separated from Sajik-dong Parish in 1990 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia).
• Bongmyeong-dong Church: the parish separated from Sachang-dong Parish on May 18, 1986, which affected the adjustment of Sajik-dong Parish’s jurisdiction (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Sajik-dong Parish” (Vol. 6). Parish establishment in 1974, church dedication in 1975, separation of Sachang-dong and Sajik1-dong Parishes, new church construction in 1995, church statistics and successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2949
2. Korea University Center for Korean Studies, Digital Cheongju Culture Encyclopedia “Sajik-dong Church”. Background of foundation, history, organization and present state.
   https://www.grandculture.net/cheongju/toc/GC00200285
3. Diocese of Cheongju, parish information “Sajik-dong Church”. Date of establishment September 28, 1974, patron saint St. James the Apostle.
   https://www.cdcj.or.kr/parish/parish/view/23008