Seoseok Catholic Church

Overview

Seoseok Church is a church in Seoseok-myeon, Hongcheon County, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, belonging to the Diocese of Chuncheon. A Catholic mission chapel was established after Yeon Gyu-pil (Andrea), who had been wounded in the Korean War, settled in Pungam-ri, Seoseok-myeon in 1954, and it was elevated from a Catholic mission chapel under Hongcheon Parish to a parish in 1968. Its patron is St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon, and the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records the date of elevation as June 1, while the Chuncheon Diocese website gives May 31.

History

〔Establishment of the mission chapel〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the Gospel was first preached in this area when Yeon Gyu-pil (Andrea), who had been wounded in the Korean War, was baptized and, after discharge, settled in Pungam-ri, Seoseok-myeon in 1954. The following year he consulted Fr. P. Crosbie (Jo), pastor of Hongcheon Parish, and purchased a site of 135 pyeong and a house for a new mission-chapel hall, and after October 10, 1956, as the number of the faithful grew through the work of catechist leader Im Suk-nyeo (Bona), Seoseok Catholic mission chapel was established at Easter the following year. Earlier, in 1955, nearby Naemyeon Catholic mission chapel had been established in Nae-myeon, Hongcheon County. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that Andrea Yeon visited Fr. Philippo Jo Seon-hui, then pastor of Hongcheon Parish, the following year to ask for a mission chapel in Seoseok, and Fr. Jo purchased a thatched house adjacent to the present church site and the roadside, dispatched a catechist on October 10, 1956, and founded the mission chapel together with Andrea Yeon. At that time the jurisdiction of Seoseok Catholic mission chapel comprised Pungam 1~2-ri, Geomsan-ri, Saenggok 1~2-ri, Cheongnyang-ri and Eoron-ri.

〔Mission-chapel hall and preparation for parish elevation〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the faithful of Seoseok Catholic mission chapel built a 176-pyeong hall on October 30, 1958 with the help of Bishop T. Quinlan (Gu In-ran), the diocesan bishop, and Fr. Crosbie, and subsequently completed the Naemyeon mission-chapel hall (170 pyeong) in 1960 and the Saenggok mission-chapel hall (103 pyeong) on September 16, 1965. On May 31, 1966 Seoseok Catholic mission chapel additionally purchased 750 pyeong of woodland behind the hall, and in preparation for elevation to a parish built a catechist leader’s residence on March 20 the following year, added a sacristy on September, and completed a rectory (142.5 pyeong) on March 1968. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that a mission-chapel chapel with a floor area of 176 pyeong and a retreat house were built as the catechist’s residence, and the blessing ceremony for Seoseok Catholic mission chapel was held on October 30, 1958 presided over by Diocesan Bishop Thomas Gu.

〔Elevation to a parish〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that on June 1, 1968 Seoseok Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Seoseok Parish, with jurisdiction over Saenggok, Naemyeon, Jangpyeong, Mulgeol-ri and Gwangwon Catholic mission chapels. The Chuncheon Diocese website states that after Naemyeon and Saenggok mission chapels had been formed, it became a parish on May 31, 1968 with jurisdiction over Saenggok, Naemyeon, Jangpyeong, Mulgeol-ri and Gwangwon mission chapels.

〔Settlement and growth〕 Pastoral care of Seoseok Parish was entrusted to missionaries of the Missionary Society of St. Columban for over 10 years, until Fr. Im Hong-ji took office as the 5th pastor on May 1979. During that time they improved the surroundings and interior facilities of the church, formed a pastoral council and districts and small groups, organized a council of mission-chapel leaders, published a parish bulletin and a student bulletin in 1975, and the number of the faithful reached 937. However, from the late 1970s the parish struggled as the number of the faithful declined because of the rural exodus (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

〔1980~1990s〕 From the 1980s the parish worked toward interior renewal through revitalizing lay groups, movements for spiritual growth and various fellowship activities, and built a new sacristy, hall, warehouse and other facilities on September 19, 1982. Under the 8th pastor, Fr. Agnello Choe Won-seok, a parish education center (32 pyeong) was built on November 20, 1990 and an education center (50 pyeong) for Naemyeon Catholic mission chapel on October 20, 1992, and in the same year a convent was built on November 7 and the Sisters of the Holy Heart of Mary of Mirinae were invited on September 19 the following year. A reception room (30 pyeong) was built on April 8, 1994, the rectory and retreat house were repaired on May 1, and the 9th pastor, Fr. John Bosco Oh Sang-hyeon, repaired the stone embankment and walls of the church on May 21, 1995. When Naemyeon Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish on January 29, 1998, 361 parish registers were transferred, reducing the size of the parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

〔Parish territory and successive pastors〕 The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all of Pungam, Cheongnyang, Eoron, Suha, Geomsan and Saenggok 1 and 2-ri, Hagundu-ri, and Jangpyeong, Mulgeol and Waya 1 and 2-ri, with 3 mission chapels at Mulgeol-ri, Jangpyeong and Saenggok. The number of the faithful was 770 in 1968, 896 in 1974, 824 in 1979, 783 in 1984, 895 in 1988, 865 in 1992, and 775 in 1997. Successive pastors were: the first, Gerardo G. Wilmsen (Jin) (1968.5~1969.5); 2th Paulo P. Carey (Gal) (1969.5~1971.4); 3th Francisco F. Ferrie (Hwang) (1971.4~1974.4); 4th Gerardo G. Desmond (Tae) (1974.4~1979.5); 5th Aloysio Im Hong-ji (1979.5~1983.5); 6th Peter Song Mun-sik (1983.5~1986.8); 7th Samuel Park U-seong (1986.8~1989.4); 8th Agnello Choe Won-seok (1989.4~1994.5); 9th John Bosco Oh Sang-hyeon (1994.6~1998.2); 10th Ambrosio Lee Ji-cheol (1998.2~8); and 11th Gabriel Jeong Won-il (1998.9 to present). Here “present” means the time of writing of this encyclopedia.

〔Rebuilding of the parish〕 The Chuncheon Diocese website states that funds were raised to rebuild the aging church and, with the help of many benefactors and the faithful, a Mass of thanksgiving for the rebuilding of the parish was celebrated on August 1, 2004 presided over by Bishop Jang Ik.

Related places and people

• Hongcheon Parish: the mother parish to which Seoseok Catholic mission chapel belonged. Fr. Crosbie (Jo Seon-hui) helped establish the mission chapel as pastor of Hongcheon Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Chuncheon Diocese website).
• Naemyeon Catholic mission chapel: established in 1955 and elevated to a parish on January 29, 1998 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Chuncheon Diocese website’s introduction to Naemyeon Parish states that on January 29, 1998 it was established as a parish from a mission chapel under Seoseok Parish.
• Yeon Gyu-pil (Andrea): after being wounded in the Korean War, baptized and discharged, he settled in Pungam-ri in 1954 and provided the occasion for the establishment of Seoseok Catholic mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Im Suk-nyeo (Bona): catechist leader of Seoseok Catholic mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Seoseok Parish” (Vol. 7). History of mission-chapel foundation, hall construction, parish elevation in 1968, facility projects, parish statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3169
2. Chuncheon Diocese website, parish “Seoseok St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon Parish”. Founding year 1968.05.31., history of mission-chapel foundation and blessing ceremony in 1958, rebuilding thanksgiving Mass in 2004.
   https://www.cccatholic.or.kr/parish/parish/view/13
3. Chuncheon Diocese website, parish “Naemyeon St. Isidore Parish”. The fact of elevation from a mission chapel under Seoseok Parish to a parish on January 29, 1998.
   https://www.cccatholic.or.kr/parish/parish/view/20