Seonghwa-dong Cathedral

History & origins

Seonghwa-dong Parish was established on August 18, 2009. The official records of the Diocese of Cheongju give this as the establishment date, while the Catholic Times of Korea reports that the community began in August 2009 after separating from Gaesin-dong Parish.

For many years after its establishment, the parish had no independent church building and used the fifth floor of a commercial building as a temporary liturgical space. A 2022 report states that this period lasted about thirteen years. During that time parishioners continued Mass and community life in a limited setting while preparing for a new church.

Construction of the new church was completed at the end of April 2022, and the church was dedicated on May 20 of that year in a liturgy presided over by Bishop Simon Kim Jong-gang of Cheongju. The three-story building included the church, choir area, office and meeting rooms, a religious-goods room, and the rectory. The move from a temporary commercial-space chapel to a dedicated parish church marked a major transition, giving the community a stable base for liturgy and pastoral life after years of preparation.