Hyeonri Catholic Church

Overview

Hyeon-ri Church is a church in Hyeon-ri, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Chuncheon. It began as a Catholic mission chapel, a church was built in 1979 led by military chaplains, it became a quasi-parish in 1983 and later a parish. Its patron is Saint Kim Dae-geon Andrea. For the date of elevation to parish, the Chuncheon Diocese website gives April 19, 1994, while the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives August 17, 1988.

History

[Early evangelization and mission chapel period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, evangelization in the Hyeon-ri area began around 1900–1920 when Magdalena Yun, who lived in Malgeundami (present-day Sinpal-ri, Naechon-myeon, Pocheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do), frequently visited relatives in Saet Village in Hyeon-ri and carried out missionary activity. When the faithful in the Hyeon-ri area reached about 10 (5 households), they invited Fr. Kim Yu-ryong (Philippo), the first pastor of the Chuncheon (now Jukrim-dong) parish, who celebrated Mass in a parishioner’s house near Saet Village, and around 1930 Fr. Lee Bo-hwan (John), the first pastor of the Singye parish, came and administered Easter confession. Around 1937, Fr. L. Pichon, the first pastor of the Deokjeong-ri parish (predecessor of the Uijeongbu 2-dong parish), and in 1945 Fr. Kim Pi-deuk (Peter), pastor of the Uijeongbu (now Uijeongbu 2-dong) parish, took charge of the Hyeon-ri area. As the number of faithful grew and it took on the character of a Catholic mission chapel, on April 10, 1955 a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Hyeon-ri mission chapel hall, in 1956 it was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Uijeongbu parish to that of the Cheongpyeong parish, and from 1966 Fr. Kim Gye-chun (Dominico), a military chaplain attached to the nearby Gapyeong 1 Corps, celebrated Sunday Mass once a week at the Hyeon-ri mission chapel.

[Military chaplains’ ministry and construction of the church] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the Hyeon-ri mission chapel reached a turning point when the spring Bishops’ Conference in 1972 decided to entrust military chaplains with pastoral care of the faithful at mission chapels in military base areas. On March 1973, when the Capital Mechanized Division, withdrawn from Vietnam and returned home, settled in Hyeon-ri, the division’s military chaplains resided at the Hyeon-ri mission chapel and undertook ministry to soldiers and civilians. Fr. Jo Yong-geol (Augustino), a military chaplain who took office on April 5, 1973, cooperated with Fr. A. O’Brien, the 4 pastor of the Cheongpyeong parish, to enliven ministry to military and civilian faithful, and Fr. Lee Jae-myeong (Paul), a military chaplain who took office on August 1974, organized 1 Legion of Mary praesidia and a Marian Association composed of soldiers’ wives. Fr. Eom Gi-bong (Peter), a military chaplain who took office on August 1977, planned the construction of a new church and began construction on April 15, 1979. Construction funds were supported 65% by the Chuncheon Diocese, 18% by the Military Chaplaincy Support Association, and 12% by the military, with a topping-out ceremony on May 18 and a dedication ceremony on July 5. The Chuncheon Diocese website also states that, as the mission chapel building became too small, a military chaplain asked Bishop Thomas Park, head of the Chuncheon Diocese, secured land at Hyeon-ri lot 240 and held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new church and rectory, and through the efforts of the diocese, the faithful, the Military Chaplaincy Support Association and soldiers, a blessing ceremony was held on July 5, 1979 officiated by Bishop Thomas Park.

[Quasi-parish and elevation to parish] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that on September 1, 1983 the Hyeon-ri mission chapel was elevated to a quasi-parish and that on September 22 an unveiling and blessing ceremony was held for a statue of Fr. Kim Dae-geon at the parish entrance to honor the spirit of the parish patron. From November 10, 1987 to December 13 construction of an education hall for Sunday school catechesis was carried out. The encyclopedia states that on August 17, 1988 the quasi-parish was elevated to a parish, pastoral jurisdiction passed from the Military Chaplaincy to the Chuncheon Diocese, and Fr. Kim Myeong-sik became the first pastor. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that it separated from the Cheongpyeong parish to become a quasi-parish on September 1, 1983 and was elevated to a parish on April 19, 1994.

[Tenures of the first, 2 and 3 pastors] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first pastor Fr. Kim Myeong-sik founded the Queen of Martyrs Curia on December 18, 1988, founded the Marian Association and the Mothers’ Association on February 10 of the following year, and on June expanded the single-story education hall to 2 stories. During the tenure of the 2 pastor Fr. O Sang-hyeon, a branch of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was established in the parish on March 5, 1991, the Sacred Heart Association, an adult group, was founded on April 1, and on July the Gate of Heaven, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Peace and Queen of Heavenly Grace praesidia were founded. The 3 pastor Fr. Choe Won-seok built a retreat house and the parish office on October 1994 and founded the Blue Army, and during the year 1996 he worked on improving the parish environment, starting with retaining-wall work behind the church and fence work, followed by garden work, refurbishment of the Marian garden, reinstallation of the exterior cross on the bell tower, and interior refurbishment and lighting work in the church.

[After the 4 pastor] The 4 pastor Fr. Jeong Gi-won recruited new liturgical ministers on January 14, 1998 to revitalize the liturgy and conducted regular training, and from April 6 promoted a Bible transcription movement by households and groups. He founded the Seat of Wisdom praesidium on October 9, 1999, established and carried out a practice campaign for the Great Jubilee parish motto on January 2, 2000, and founded the parish choir (LAPIS) on June 17, 2001. On January 2002 he drew up a 10-year plan for a new parish church and decided to take a 2 collection each week. The 5 pastor Fr. Kim Hyeon-sin organized the Altar Society on April 21, 2002, carried out work on March 1, 2003 to expand the church interior to 2 stories, and on March 6, 2004 newly created and subdivided parish districts and groups into a total of 27 groups. Fr. Choe Hyeok-sun, who took office as the 6 pastor on October 2004, set the parish pastoral direction for 2005 as guiding resting faithful back, revitalizing district and group meetings, revitalizing the Legion of Mary, and emphasizing Mass attendance (all from the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[Church strength and successive priests] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is the Sang-myeon and Ha-myeon area of Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. The number of faithful was 626 in 1990, 915 in 1995, 1,058 in 2000, and 1,094 in 2003. Successive priests were the first Fr. Kim Myeong-sik Gabriel (1988.8–1990.11), the 2 Fr. O Sang-hyeon John Bosco (1990.11–1994.6), the 3 Fr. Choe Won-seok Agnello (1994.6–1997.9), the 4 Fr. Jeong Gi-won Michael (1997.9–2002.1), the 5 Fr. Kim Hyeon-sin Joseph (2002.2–2004.9), and the 6 Fr. Choe Hyeok-sun Joseph (2004.10–present). Here “present” means the time of writing of this encyclopedia.

Related Places and Figures

• Cheongpyeong Parish: in 1956 it became the supervisory parish for the Hyeon-ri mission chapel, and the Chuncheon Diocese website states that the Hyeon-ri quasi-parish separated from the Cheongpyeong parish in 1983 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Chuncheon Diocese website).
• Military chaplains and the Capital Mechanized Division: military chaplains of the division that settled in Hyeon-ri on March 1973 resided at the Hyeon-ri mission chapel and were in charge of ministry to soldiers and civilians (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Chuncheon (Jukrim-dong), Singye and Deokjeong-ri (Uijeongbu 2-dong) parishes: the parishes to which the priests who visited early faithful in the Hyeon-ri area and celebrated Mass and Easter confession belonged (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Malgeundami (present-day Sinpal-ri area, Naechon-myeon, Pocheon-si): the place where Magdalena Yun lived, which prompted evangelization in the Hyeon-ri area (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Hyeon-ri Parish” (Vol. 12). Circumstances of evangelization, mission chapel period, military chaplain ministry and church construction in 1979, elevation to quasi-parish in 1983, elevation to parish in 1988, projects under successive pastors, church strength statistics, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/6911
2. Catholic Chuncheon Diocese website, Parish “Hyeon-ri Saint Kim Dae-geon Andrea Parish”. Founding year 1994.04.19., separation as quasi-parish in 1983, church construction and blessing in 1979.
   https://www.cccatholic.or.kr/parish/parish/view/56