Angang Catholic Church

Overview

Angang Church is a church in Angang-eup, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu. Angang Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish from the jurisdiction of Gyeongju (now Seongdong) Parish on May 13, 1967, its patron is Our Lady of Fatima, and its first pastor was Father Yi Myeong-u (Peter).

History

[Beginning of the Angang mission chapel] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that around May 1956 Yi In-chul, who lived in Yangwol 2-ri (Changmal) in Angang-eup, came to believe after meeting nurse Yi Margarita of Busan Maryknoll Hospital and became the first believer in Angang-eup. Influenced by Yi In-chul, 8 people were baptized in December of that year, and 5 more were baptized in February of the following year. Accordingly, Father Yun Gwang-je (David) of Gyeongju Parish prepared a mission chapel hall at Angang 5-ri No. 389-1 in May of the same year and established the Angang Catholic mission chapel in June. 2 years later, in July 1959, the believers purchased the hall at Yangwol 5-ri No. 1357-18 and moved the mission chapel there, and around that time the number of believers was about 80.

[Elevation to parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the number of believers grew steadily, Father Yun Gwang-je planned to divide the parish and in the spring of 1960 purchased about 600 pyeong of land at the site of the present church. On May 13, 1967, Angang Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish from the jurisdiction of Gyeongju (now Seongdong) Parish, and Father Yi Myeong-u took office as the first pastor. The parish information of the Archdiocese of Daegu also lists the date of establishment as May 13, 1967 and the patron as Our Lady of Fatima Mary.

[Period of the first pastor] Father Yi Myeong-u built the present church (343 pyeong) on October 12, 1967, established the Gigye mission chapel (transferred to Jukdo Parish in 1999) on January 30 of the following year, and opened Saetbyeol Kindergarten in January 1969 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[The 1970s–90s] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that in the 1970s frequent changes of pastors brought some stagnation, but various apostolic groups took the lead and worked for the unity of the community. A reading room was set up in October 1979, a friendly volleyball and soccer tournament was held with the youth group of a Protestant church in Gyeongju on June 1, 1986, and a statue of the Virgin Mary was erected at the Gigye mission chapel on December 13 of the following year. On March 6, 1988, a bazaar was held to raise funds for building a new rectory and convent, construction began on April 5 and was completed in May. Every year, joint athletic meetings and martyrs veneration festivals are held together with several parishes in the Gyeongju District. The 13th pastor, Father Choe Hwan-uk, promoted a systematic pastoral policy, and Father Baek Myeong-heum, who took office as the 14th pastor in November 1999, has been working for evangelization of the area and revitalization of small Christian communities under the goal of an “evangelizing community.”

[Jurisdiction and statistics] The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is the entire Angang-eup and Gangdong-myeon in Gyeongju-si. The statistics are 691 believers in 1975, 866 in 1980, 1,242 in 1985, 1,671 in 1991, 1,982 in 1995, and 1,909 in 1999. Successive pastors are the first Yi Myeong-u Peter (1967.5–1969.1), 2nd Yi Pan-seok Joseph (1969.1–1971.11), 3rd Yi Jae-myeong Paul (1971.11–1974.5), 4th Yi Dae-gil Simeon (1974.5–1976.3), 5th Kim Gwang-rok Peter (1976.3–5), 6th Yi Yong-gil John (1976.5–1979.7), 7th Yi Jeong-u Alberto (1979.7–1982.2), 8th Yi Seong-han Bernardo (1982.2–1986.1), 9th Yi Gang-tae Peter (1986.1–1988.6), 10th Yeo Chang-hwan Laurentius (1988.6–1990.6), 11th Park Seok-jae Carlo (1990.6–1993.10), 12th Park Su-tae Pius (1993.10–1996.8), 13th Choe Hwan-uk Beda (1996.8–1999.11), and 14th Baek Myeong-heum Paul (1999.11–).

Related places and people

• Gyeongju (Seongdong) Parish: the mother parish that established Angang mission chapel, had jurisdiction over it, and raised it to Angang Parish in 1967 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Gigye mission chapel: established by Angang Parish on January 30, 1968 and transferred to Jukdo Parish in 1999 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Yun Gwang-je (David): as pastor of Gyeongju Parish, he established Angang mission chapel and purchased the site of the present church for the division of the parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Angang Parish” (vol. 8). Elevation to parish on May 13, 1967, beginning of Angang mission chapel, church construction in 1967, jurisdiction, statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4163
2. Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Angang Church”. Date of establishment May 13, 1967, patron Our Lady of Fatima Mary.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=95&premenu=c1&srl=church_search&y_id=95