Gyo-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Gyodong Church is a church in Gyodong, Sokcho, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, belonging to the Chuncheon Diocese, established by separation from the Dongmyeong-dong Parish in Sokcho, and its patron is Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists its establishment date as January 1, 1967, while the Chuncheon Diocese website gives December 30, 1966. The church was designed in the shape of a dove spreading its wings toward the East Sea and flying peacefully.

History

〔Evangelization of the Sokcho area〕 The Chuncheon Diocese website states that evangelization in the Sokcho area began with the formation of the Ssarijae Catholic village centered on believers who hid to escape the Byeongin Persecution. In 1921, Fr. Choe Munsik was appointed and it became Ssarijae Parish, but when Fr. Choe moved the parish to Seomun-ri, Yangyang, Ssarijae Parish became a Catholic mission chapel again. It states that after the Korean War the number of believers grew and, from the 1960s, as the commercial center moved to Jungang-dong, the living area of Sokcho Parish believers also shifted, and as Sokcho Parish could no longer accommodate the increased number of believers, establishment of a new parish became unavoidable.

〔Construction and establishment of the church〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that on September 3, 1964 Fr. Ferrie (Franciscus Ferrie, Hwang), who was ministering at Dongmyeong-dong Parish, purchased 4,290 pyeong of land for the new parish, and on May 11, 1966 Bishop Quinlan (Quinlan, Gu), who had resigned as head of the Chuncheon Diocese, took up residence and began construction of the church. That year on December 20 the church, rectory, hall and convent were completed, and Fr. Antony O’Brien, Antonio, the first pastor, took office, and on January 1, 1967 it was formally established as Gyodong Parish. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that Bishop Thomas Gu, retired from the head of the Chuncheon Diocese, resided at the church construction site and began building, and that, in accordance with Bishop Gu’s wishes, the church was designed in the shape of a dove spreading its wings toward the East Sea and flying peacefully.

〔Early activities and separated parishes〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the parish organized the Legion of Mary, the Marian Association, the St. Anthony Society and others for the faith life of believers and opened a branch of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and for local youth began the Antonio Academy on March 12 the following year. In 1978, it separated the Seorak-dong quasi-parish with 388 faithful from the Seorak-dong and Domun Catholic mission chapels, on October 19, 1987 built the Cheongho-dong Catholic mission chapel, and on November 1, 1991 separated the Cheongho-dong quasi-parish with 315 faithful from Cheongho-dong, Daepo-dong and Joyang-dong.

〔Projects in 1992–1993〕 In 1992, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the parish establishment, it prepared a statue of Our Lady, a Marian shrine, the House of Encounter and the House of Andang, and that year from December began Korean-language and catechism classes at the House of Andang, and from April 4 the following year opened a medical clinic every Wednesday for families of persons with disabilities and the elderly, and on June also began sign-language classes for non-disabled people for understanding and service of persons with disabilities (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

〔Jurisdiction, statistics and successive pastors〕 The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is part of Gyodong in Sokcho and Geumho-dong, Nohak-dong, Daepo-dong, Joyang-dong, Cheonghak-dong and Cheongho-dong. The number of believers was 1,045 in 1967, 1,655 in 1978, 1,558 in 1989, and 1,699 in 1993. The successive pastors were the first Antony O’Brien, Antonio (1966.12–1970.4), the 2 pastor Kearney (Denis Kearney, Gang), Dionysius (1970.4–10), the 3 pastor Hayward (Hubert Hayward, O), Hubert (1970.10–1974.12), interim Gabriel O Secheol (1974.12–1975.4), the 4 pastor McMahon (Arthur McMahon, An), Arthur (1975.4–1978.1), the 5 pastor Murphy (Cornelius Murphy, Jeon), Cornelius (1978.1–1981.12), the 6 pastor Kennedy (Brendan Kennedy, Gye), Brendan (1981.12–1982.2), the 7 pastor Linch (John Linch, Im), John (1982.2–1986.3), the 8 pastor Nyhan (John Nyhan, Na), John (1986.3–1987.11), the 9 pastor O’Loingsigh (Sean O’Loingsigh, Im), John (1987.11–1990.11), and the 10 pastor Julius Kim Hyeonjun (1990.11–present). Here ‘present’ means the time of writing of this encyclopedia.

Related places and people

• Dongmyeong-dong Parish (Sokcho Parish): the mother parish from which Gyodong Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Chuncheon Diocese website).
• Seorak-dong quasi-parish: in 1978 separated with 388 faithful from the Seorak-dong and Domun Catholic mission chapels of Gyodong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Cheongho-dong quasi-parish: on November 1, 1991 separated with 315 faithful from Cheongho-dong, Daepo-dong and Joyang-dong (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Ssarijae: the place where believers who hid to escape the Byeongin Persecution formed a Catholic village, and the starting point of evangelization in the Sokcho area (Chuncheon Diocese website).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Gyodong Parish” (Vol. 1) entry on Gyodong Parish in Sokcho in the Chuncheon Diocese. Background of establishment in 1967, land purchase and completion of the church, separation of the Seorak-dong and Cheongho-dong quasi-parishes, early projects, statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/494
2. Chuncheon Diocese website, parish “Gyodong Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish”. Establishment date 1966.12.30., background of evangelization in the Sokcho area and establishment of the parish, church construction by Bishop Thomas Gu, dove-shaped design.
   https://www.cccatholic.or.kr/parish/parish/view/22