Soyangro Church

History & origins

Soyang-ro Parish was established as Catholic life expanded in Chuncheon after liberation and a new parish became necessary to serve the area north of Jukrim-dong. In 1949 the diocese acquired property that included a house, and Father Anthony Collier, appointed as the first pastor, converted the existing Korean house for use as a church and rectory. On January 5, 1950, Soyang-ro Parish was formally erected after being separated from Jukrim-dong Parish.

The parish soon experienced tragedy when the Korean War broke out later that year. After urging parishioners to seek safety, Father Collier remained to watch over the situation. On June 27 he was captured and was shot near the Gongjicheon area. Diocesan records remember that he protected the altar server who was with him by shielding him with his body. Soyang-ro Church later came to carry the meaning of a memorial church honoring this self-sacrificing death.

Construction of a permanent church, interrupted by the war, resumed in March 1956, and the completed building was dedicated in September of the same year. Its semicircular plan and fan-shaped seating, unusual in Korean Catholic architecture at the time, brought the congregation closer to the altar. Recognized for this pioneering modern architectural character, the church was registered as a National Registered Cultural Heritage property in 2005, and conservation work from 2007 to 2010 restored its original form. The history of Soyang-ro Church thus brings together parish foundation, wartime sacrifice, postwar rebuilding, and the introduction of modern church architecture in one place.