Brothers of the Flower Village of Jesus

History & origins

The roots of The Institute of Kkottongnae Brothers of Jesus and its sister community lie in the early volunteer community at Kkottongnae in 음성. The Catholic Encyclopedia of Korea explains that a male volunteer began living at Kkottongnae in 1979 and that, in 1981, two women expressed their desire to devote their lives to service there, forming the basis of the emerging communities.

On December 27, 1986, Bishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of the Diocese of Cheongju approved the community under the name “Kkottongnae Brothers and Sisters of Jesus.” The following year, Fr. Oh Woong-jin left his pastoral responsibility at 무극본당 to devote himself fully to guiding Kkottongnae, and the members entered formation. First vows followed on February 2, 1988, and the first perpetual vows on July 5, 1993, as the religious communities gradually took a more established form.

Kkottongnae’s official chronology records continuing work to regularize the institutes’ constitutions and canonical status, culminating in the promulgation on July 3, 2018 of a decree concerning the Brothers and Sisters as institutes of diocesan right. Through this development, the motherhouse in 음성 has become the central base for common life, formation, and the continuation of the Brothers’ apostolic work in Korea and abroad.