Uncheon Catholic Church

Overview

Uncheon Church is a church in Uncheon-ri, Yeongbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Chuncheon Diocese. The Uncheon Catholic mission chapel under Pocheon Parish was elevated to a parish in November 1970 and established, with Christ the King as patron. At its establishment, it received the Gwanin, Jipo-ri and Munhye-ri Catholic mission chapels from Cheorwon Parish.

History

〔Beginnings as a Mission Chapel〕 According to “Catholicism” in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia, the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel began with believers from 7 households, including Brother Hwang Uk, who had migrated around 1938 from Seopjun-ri, Sunyang-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do. After liberation in August 1945, as the country was divided north and south along the 3–8 Line, they moved south in search of religious freedom. In November 1954, when administrative authority was restored under the Temporary Autonomy Act for the Restored Areas, they newly built a temporary Catholic mission chapel building at San 375-1, Uncheon-ri, Yeongbuk-myeon, with the help of the stationed U.S. military unit. “Uncheon Church” in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia records that it started as the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel belonging to Pocheon Parish in 1954.

〔New Mission-Chapel Building〕 According to the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia, on December 28, 1967 the mission-chapel hall was completely destroyed by fire, but with the support of Father Yun Byeong-hui, pastor of Pocheon Parish, and the help of the U.S. military, the Seoul Diocese and local leaders, a new Catholic mission chapel building with a floor area of 132㎡ (40 pyeong) was newly built on a site of 990㎡ (300 pyeong) at 345-7, Uncheon-ri, Yeongbuk-myeon. The dedication ceremony for the newly built mission chapel was held on September 1, 1969.

〔Elevation to a Parish〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel, which had been under Pocheon Parish, was elevated and separately established as a parish on November 20, 1970, and received the Gwanin, Jipo-ri and Munhye-ri Catholic mission chapels from Cheorwon Parish. “Uncheon Church” in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia gives the date of elevation as November 15, 1970, and records that as Pocheon Church changed from belonging to the Seoul Diocese to belonging to the Chuncheon Diocese, the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish for the faithful and evangelization in each area of Pocheon, and the foreign priest Father Walter Yuilteo took office as the first pastor. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records the first pastor as Father Walter Nugent (W. Nugent, Yu) (1971.11–1974.10). The “Catholicism” entry in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia summarizes that mission chapels in the Cheorwon-gun area after 1957, in the Yeongbuk-myeon area (Uncheon Catholic mission chapel) after 1970, and in the Ildong-myeon, Idong-myeon and Naechon-myeon areas after 1971 were elevated from Pocheon Parish to parishes.

〔Separation of Jipo Parish〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on August 15, 1991 Uncheon Parish elevated its subordinate Jipo-ri Catholic mission chapel to Jipo (now Galmal) Parish and transferred about 320 faithful to the new parish. The Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia records that under Uncheon Church there was the Jipo Catholic mission chapel in Galmal-eup, Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, and in August 1991 it was separated from Uncheon Parish and elevated to Jipo Parish (now Galmal Parish).

〔Construction of the New Church〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the church building had become old, a church-construction promotion committee was formed in October 1990, and on September 26 of the following year land of 1,586 pyeong was purchased. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September 1993 (the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia gives September 5), it was completed in November of the following year, and the dedication ceremony was celebrated on March 6, 1995, presided over by Bishop Jang Ik (John of the Cross), head of the Chuncheon Diocese. The Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia records that it moved to its present location (Uncheonan-gil 9, Yeongbuk-myeon) and the dedication ceremony was celebrated on March 6, 1995.

〔After the 1990s〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in November 1995 a sister belonging to the Sisters of Divine Providence was dispatched to the parish, which made missionary activity much easier, and on April 16, 1997 the Gwanin Catholic mission chapel was repaired and on December 6 the Yangmun Catholic mission chapel was newly built, with a blessing ceremony held for each. On January 20, 1999, the parish faithful were instructed in the Jubilee preparation “New Day, New Life Movement.” The Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia records that on April 25, 1999 the 60th anniversary thanksgiving of the diocese was celebrated, and in August 2005 the Gasan Catholic mission chapel and the Naechon Catholic mission chapel were elevated and separated as parishes.

〔Church Strength and Successive Pastors〕 The church strength recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is 750 in 1972, 758 in 1980, 916 in 1985, 1,213 in 1990, 657 in 1995, and 869 in 2000, and its jurisdiction covers all of Yeongbuk-myeon, Yeongjung-myeon and Gwanin-myeon in Pocheon-gun and parts of Galmal-eup and Dongseong-eup in Cheorwon-gun. The successive pastors are the first Walter Nugent (Yu) (1971.11–1974.10), the 2th Yi Jeong-haeng, John the Apostle (1974.11–1978.1), the 3th Kim Cheol, Paul (1978.1–1981.3), the 4nd Kim Taek-sin, Joseph (1981.9–1986.2), the 5th Yi Tae-hyeok, Joachim (1986.2–1990.5), the 6th Kim Hak-su, Peter (1990.5–1995.8), the 7st Jeon Se-gwon, Paul (1995.8–2000.2), and the 8th O Sang-hyeon, John Bosco (2000.2–) (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

Architecture and Space

According to “Uncheon Church” in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia, as of 2012 the present building had 2 above-ground floors and 1 basement floor, with a church, a rectory and a convent. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the church whose construction began in September 1993 and was completed in November 1994 was dedicated on March 6, 1995.

Related Places and People

• Galmal Church (Jipo Parish): a parish separated and elevated from the Jipo-ri Catholic mission chapel under Uncheon Parish in August 1991 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia).
• Cheorwon Church: the parish that transferred the Gwanin, Jipo-ri and Munhye-ri Catholic mission chapels at the establishment of Uncheon Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Cheorwon Culture Encyclopedia records the transferred mission chapels as 4 places.
• Pocheon Church: the mother parish to which the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel had belonged. The Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia records the change of Pocheon Church from belonging to the Seoul Diocese to belonging to the Chuncheon Diocese as the background for the elevation of the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel to a parish.
• Gasan Catholic mission chapel and Naechon Catholic mission chapel: elevated and separated from Uncheon Church as parishes in August 2005 (Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, “Uncheon Parish” in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia (Volume 9). Elevation to a parish on November 20, 1970, patron, jurisdiction, church strength, successive priests, transfer of Catholic mission chapels from Cheorwon Parish, separation of Jipo Parish, construction of the new church and dedication in 1995.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4785
2. Academy of Korean Studies, “Uncheon Church” in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia. Uncheon Catholic mission chapel in 1954, complete destruction of the mission-chapel hall in 1967 and dedication in 1969, elevation to a parish in 1970 and first pastor, relocation in 1995, separation of the Gasan and Naechon Catholic mission chapels in 2005.
   https://www.grandculture.net/pocheon/toc/GC05001569
3. Academy of Korean Studies, “Catholicism” in the Digital Pocheon Culture Encyclopedia. Overview of Catholicism in the Pocheon area, beginnings of the Uncheon Catholic mission chapel and construction of the mission-chapel building, separation of Jipo Parish.
   https://www.grandculture.net/pocheon/toc/GC05000035