Bokhyeon Cathedral

History & origins

Bokhyeon Parish was established on February 4, 1995, with Father Jang Hyo-won Joseph appointed as its first pastor. Before a permanent church had been built, the community celebrated its first Mass in a tent church on March 26 of that year, beginning its regular pastoral life in provisional surroundings.

Construction of a permanent church proceeded in stages. The groundbreaking ceremony and Mass for the new church were held on August 15, 1997, and the building was completed on January 21, 1999. On October 22, 2000, Archbishop Paul Yi Mun-hi presided over the dedication of the new church, formally establishing a stable liturgical home for the parish community.

After the church was in place, the parish also developed its communal structures. In 2003 regular “small church” gatherings began in 63 neighborhood groups throughout the parish as part of an effort to establish a small-community movement. In 2008 the church underwent major renovation, including replacement of the floor with marble. The sequence shows how Bokhyeon grew from a tent church into a settled parish with a permanent sanctuary and an increasingly organized community life.