Jinbu Catholic Church

Overview

Jinbu Church is a church in Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, belonging to the Diocese of Chuncheon, and was established as a parish from a Catholic mission chapel on September 1968. Its patron is Mary, Queen of the Clergy, and in 1969 it came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Chuncheon through an adjustment of diocesan jurisdiction. It separated the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel and the Bongpyeong Catholic mission chapel as parishes. The background and dates of its establishment are recorded differently by the Chuncheon Diocese website (promotion on September 10, 1968 from a Catholic mission chapel under Pyeongchang Parish) and the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia (separation on September 29, 1968 from Daehwa Parish).

History

[Before the establishment of the parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, before Jinbu Parish was established, Father Yun Ye-won (Thomas) of Daehwa Parish was proclaiming the Gospel while celebrating Mass in the house of a believer. On November 1957 Father Jo Eung-hwan (Thaddeus) of Daehwa Parish purchased 1,228 pyeong of the present parish site, laying the foundation for the establishment of the parish.

[Establishment of the parish] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that 11 years later, on September 1968, Jinbu Parish was separated and established from Daehwa Parish, and on October a church with a size of 106 pyeong was completed and its dedication ceremony was held. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that on September 10, 1968 it was elevated from a Catholic mission chapel under Pyeongchang Parish to a parish, and the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives the date of establishment as September 29. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that through the adjustment of diocesan jurisdiction in 1969, Daehwa Parish in the Pyeongchang area came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Wonju, while Jinbu Parish came to be under the jurisdiction of Chuncheon.

[Early pastoral care] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first pastor, Father Brendan Murray (B. Murray, Ham), purchased the site of the Bongpyeong Catholic mission chapel from May 1969 to July and devoted himself to educational work, operating Yangjae Academy. During the term of the 3 pastor, Father Kim Jong-seok, the dedication ceremony of the Bongpyeong Catholic mission chapel was held on October 1973, and the site of the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel was purchased on July 1974.

[The 1980 period] During the term of the 5 pastor, Father Lee Heung-seop, a free reading room with a total floor area of 22 pyeong (library 18 pyeong, counseling room 4 pyeong) was opened on July 1980, and the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel (now the infant room) was expanded on November 1981. During the term of the 6 pastor, Father Bae Jong-ho, the blessing ceremony of the Ssarijae Retreat House was held on June 1982 and the Marian Association was founded, and from September to November the kindergarten and the convent were expanded. The Daegwallyeong Credit Union was founded on December 1984 and the operation of Seongmo Kindergarten began on December 1985 (all according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[The 1990 period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, during the term of the 8 pastor, Father Kim Jae-bok, the building of the Jangpyeong Catholic mission chapel was repaired on February 1993, and on September a Mass commemorating the 25 anniversary of elevation to parish was held. On December 1994 the relocation and expansion of the entrance and the altar brick work were completed, and on November 1995 the Ssarijae Retreat House was repaired and on January 1996 its dedication and Mass were celebrated. During the term of the 9 pastor, Father Shin Ho-cheol, the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish on August 1996, and on May 1997 the 4 districts of the parish were reorganized into 7 districts. On September 1998 painting and repair work on the church and the rectory was carried out, and on October a Mass celebrating the 30 anniversary of the establishment of the parish was celebrated. The encyclopedia states that Jinbu Parish has worked for the development of the local community through volunteer work such as rehabilitation therapy since 1999.

[Parishes separated from it] The Chuncheon Diocese website states that the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel, which had been an affiliated mission chapel, was elevated and separated as a parish on August 1995, and in 2014 the Bongpyeong Catholic mission chapel was also elevated and separated as a parish. The time of the elevation of the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel to a parish is given as August 1996 by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, so the two sources differ. The website states that, with Jinbu-myeon and Yongpyeong-myeon as its jurisdiction, it is striving for pastoral care reflecting the regional character of being close to tourist areas and for local evangelization.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all areas of Jinbu-myeon, Yongpyeong-myeon and Bongpyeong-myeon in Pyeongchang-gun, and its affiliated mission chapels are Bongpyeong, Jangpyeong and Soksa. The numbers of the faithful are 789 in 1968, 812 in 1974, 825 in 1980, 801 in 1986, 869 in 1993, and 702 in 2001. The successive pastors are the first Brendan Murray (1968.9-1970), the 2 Thomas Song Seong-sik (1970-1973.4), the 3 Thomas Kim Jong-seok (1973.4-1975.3), the 4 Gabriel Oh Se-cheol (1975.3-1978.5), the 5 Laurentius Lee Heung-seop (1978.5-1982.3), the 6 Thomas Bae Jong-ho (1982.3-1987.5), the 7 Peter Song Mun-sik (1987.5-1992.10), the 8 Moses Kim Jae-bok (1992.10-1996.2), the 9 Thomas Shin Ho-cheol (1996.2-1999.2), the 10 Joseph Min Sang-yeong (1999.2-2003.1), and the 11 Benedetto Luciano Kwon O-jun (2003.1-present). Here “present” means the time of writing of this encyclopedia.

Related places and people

• Daehwa Parish (Pyeongchang): the parish that celebrated Mass in this area and purchased the parish site before the establishment of Jinbu Parish. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that Jinbu Parish was separated and established from Daehwa Parish, and the Chuncheon Diocese website states that through the adjustment of diocesan jurisdiction in 1969, Daehwa Parish came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Wonju.
• Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel: it had been a Catholic mission chapel under Jinbu Parish and was then elevated and separated as a parish (Chuncheon Diocese website, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bongpyeong Catholic mission chapel: its site was purchased in 1969 and its dedication ceremony was held on October 1973, and in 2014 it was elevated and separated as a parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Chuncheon Diocese website).
• Ssarijae Retreat House: its blessing ceremony was held on June 1982 and it was repaired in 1995 and dedicated on January 1996 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Jinbu Parish” (Volume 10). Purchase of the site in 1957, establishment of the parish in 1968, projects during the terms of successive pastors, elevation of the Hoenggye Catholic mission chapel, church statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5848
2. Website of the Diocese of Chuncheon, parish “Jinbu Mary Queen of the Clergy Parish”. Year of establishment 1968.09.10., jurisdictional adjustment in 1969, elevation of the Hoenggye and Bongpyeong mission chapels to parishes.
   https://www.cccatholic.or.kr/parish/parish/view/39