Imdang-dong Church

Overview

Imdang-dong Church is a church in Imdang-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, belonging to the Chuncheon Diocese. It began when Father I Cheol-yeon stayed at the Geumgwang-ri Catholic mission chapel on December 1921 and was called Gangneung Parish when the parish moved to its present location in 1934. In 1974, it spun off Okcheon-dong Parish and its name was changed to Imdang-dong Parish, and its patron is St. Columbanus.

History

[Mission-chapel era] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the Catholic villages in the Yeongdong region were formed after the Byeongin Persecution in 1866 as believers from Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeonggi fled into mountain areas. In the Gangneung area, Samjeongpyeong (Yeochan-ri, Gujeong-myeon, Gangneung-gun) and Saeul (Eodan-ri, Gujeong-myeon, Gangneung-gun) Catholic mission chapels were established in 1882–1883, and the Geumgwang-ri (Geumgwang-ri, Gujeong-myeon, Gangneung-gun) Catholic mission chapel was established in 1887. After 1893, the Yeongdong region was under the jurisdiction of Anbyeon (Naepyeong) Parish, but because of the long distance and the growing number of believers, a new parish was needed.

[Geumgwang-ri Parish and relocation] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on May 1921 Yangyang Parish was established with Father Choe Mun-sik (Peter) as its first pastor, and Father I Cheol-yeon, appointed as his assistant, established Geumgwang-ri Parish (the predecessor of Jumunjin Parish and Imdang-dong Parish) on December 1921 and took charge of ministry in the Gangneung area. Because Geumgwang-ri was unsuitable for residence and had little potential for growth, in late 1923 Father I purchased land at Jumunjin (GyoHang-ri 133, Silli-myeon, Gangneung-gun), built a church and rectory, and moved the parish there. However, evangelization in Jumunjin was not vigorous and the Gangneung area had greater potential for growth, and when the Jumunjin church was completely destroyed by fire on January 1929, the 2 pastor Father Kim In-sang moved the parish to Geumgwang-ri and then, on June 1931, purchased a 12-kan house at Imdang-dong, Gangneung-si to prepare the parish relocation. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that it began when Father I Cheol-yeon stayed at the Geumgwang-ri Catholic mission chapel on December 1921, that the church was also moved to what is now Jumunjin to promote evangelization, but that in 1934 the parish was moved to the present church site and became a parish again, then called Gangneung Parish.

[Post-liberation work] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the parish, moved to Gangneung in 1934, was gradually taking on the form of a parish when liberation came, and after liberation it realized a parish community within the local area through social-welfare and educational work. In 1946, it invited the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres and established the Sacred Heart Nursery and Sacred Heart Public School (closed in 1957) to care for orphans and educate disadvantaged youth. In 1951, it purchased 1,128 pyeong of land, newly built a church on October 1955, and on December 1956 founded the “Queen of Witnesses” Praesidium and began Legion of Mary activities. On October 1962, the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help took charge of parish ministry, and on March 1964 it opened the Galvaria Clinic for medical service; in 1967 it opened Sohwa Kindergarten and in 1968 it created church cemeteries at Naegok-dong, Gangneung-si and Wichon-ri, Seongsan-myeon. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that in 1955 it newly built the church building and continues to the present under the name “St. Columbanus” church.

[After the 1970s] On March 1973 it founded the “Credit Union,” and from April devotional groups such as Ultreya, the Hyoseong Association, the Anna Association, and the Vincent Association were established. As the number of believers grew, on November 1974 it spun off Okcheon-dong Parish and changed the parish name from Gangneung Parish to Imdang-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Chuncheon Diocese website also states that in 1974 it spun off Okcheon-dong Parish and changed the name to Imdang-dong Parish. In 1981, marking the 60 anniversary of its establishment, on November it built an education center for the re-education of believers, and on October 1987 it separated Noam-dong Parish. On April 1991 it began church repair work and by 2 had installed a bronze cross, altar, 14 Stations, stained glass, and other items; on November 1992 it published a pictorial book commemorating the 70 anniversary of its establishment; on November 1998 it newly built and expanded the aging rectory, convent, and kindergarten. On October 2001 it held events including a photo exhibition for the 80 anniversary of its establishment, and on December it was designated a Chuncheon Diocese Jubilee plenary-indulgence pilgrimage site (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[1991 church renovation] The Chuncheon Diocese website states that, marking the 70 anniversary of the parish establishment, in 1991 it renovated the sanctuary, installing stained glass made by the monks of Waegwan St. Benedict Abbey in the church windows and renewing the church atmosphere with sacred items including an altar decorated with icons, a bronze crucifix, and newly sculpted 14 Stations. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that as of 2002, 20 groups including the Legion of Mary are active in the parish and that, under the pastoral guideline of “Going out to find resting members,” believers are working for the inner strengthening of the parish.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all of Imdang-dong, Jungang-dong, Hongje-dong, and Gyo1-dong and parts of Gyo2-dong, Naegok-dong, Sacheon-myeon, Seongsan-myeon, Wangsan-myeon, and Gujeong-myeon, and its jurisdictional mission chapels are 1 places in Sacheon. The number of believers is 674 in 1955, 2,204 in 1960, 2,425 in 1965, 3,161 in 1970, 2,473 in 1975, 2,382 in 1980, 3,025 in 1985, 2,273 in 1990, 2,804 in 1995, and 2,803 in 2000. Successive pastors are the 1st I Cheol-yeon Francis (1921–1926), the 2 Kim In-sang James (1926–1938), the 3 Kim Hak-yong Simon (1938–1941), the 4 Doyle (J. Doyle) James (1941–1942), the 5 Kim Yeong-sik Peter (1942–1943), the 6 Im Jong-gu Paul (1943–1945), the 7 Geraghty (B. Geraghty) Bernard (1945–1946), the 8 McGann (F. McGann) Francis (1946–1947), the 9 Hayward (H. Hayward) Hubert (1947–1948), the 10 Geraghty (1948–1949), the 11 McGann (1949–1950), the 12 Neligan (T. Neligan) Thomas (1951–1954), the 14 Kearney (D. Kearney) Dionysius (1955–1960), the 15 Clark (L. Clark) Leo (1960–1961), the 17 Mannion (F. Mannion) Francis (1962–1968), the 18 Lynch (J. Lynch) John (1968–1970), the 19 Roche (J. Roche) John (1970.6–1973.4), the 20 Cheon Sin-gi John (1973.4–1979.4), the 21 Kim Jong-seok Thomas (1979.4–1984.2), the 22 Kim Jeong-sik Thomas (1984.3–1990.2), the 23 Hwang Yeong-taek Apostle John (1990.2–1995.8), and the 24 Kim Myeong-sik Gabriel (1995.9–2000.9). The 13 and 16 are omitted because the original wording in the encyclopedia is unclear.

Related places and people

• Okcheon-dong Parish: on November 1974 it was spun off from Imdang-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Noam-dong Parish: on October 1987 it was separated from Imdang-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Geumgwang-ri Parish and Jumunjin Parish: they are the predecessors of Imdang-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sacred Heart Nursery, Sacred Heart Public School (closed in 1957), Galvaria Clinic, and Sohwa Kindergarten: they are social-welfare, educational, and medical facilities established and opened by the parish after liberation (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Catholic History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Imdang-dong Parish” (vol. 9). Catholic villages and mission chapels in the Yeongdong region, establishment and relocation of Geumgwang-ri Parish, post-liberation work, spun-off parishes, 1991 renovation, church statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5249
2. Chuncheon Diocese website, parish “Imdang-dong St. Columbanus Parish.” Beginning on December 1921, relocation to the present site in 1934, new church construction in 1955, name change in 1974, church renovation and sacred objects in 1991.
   https://www.cccatholic.or.kr/parish/parish/view/33