Samsung Catholic Church

History & origins

Catholic faith in the Samseong-myeon area began long before the establishment of Samseong Parish. The Catholic Encyclopedia records that around 1904 the Gospel began to spread in the area after the family of a woman baptized as Teresa at Gomari Mission Station in Goesan settled in Samseong-myeon. For decades afterward, local Catholics continued their faith as a mission community under the pastoral care of neighboring parishes rather than as an independent parish.

As the Catholic community grew, a transition toward a more independent pastoral structure became possible. The encyclopedia records that on December 8, 1988, the Samseong community, then a mission station of Geumwang Parish, was established as Samseong quasi-parish. Although it had not yet become a full parish, this step provided a framework in which pastoral care for the local community could be handled with greater independence.

About two and a half years later, on June 29, 1991, Samseong was raised to the status of a full parish. The Diocese of Cheongju’s current directory gives the same date as the parish establishment date and names Saint Matthias the Apostle as the patron. The Catholic Encyclopedia also records that Neungsan Mission Station was within the parish territory at the time of the elevation.

The relationship with Neungsan has continued after parish establishment. The historical record names it as a mission station of the newly established parish, and the Diocese of Cheongju’s current liturgical schedule still includes Mass at Neungsan within the pastoral schedule of Samseong Parish. This continuity shows that the creation of the parish did not erase the older mission-station tradition but incorporated it into a broader parish structure. The sequence from early evangelization to mission community, quasi-parish, and full parish remains visible in the pastoral organization of the area today.