Bongdeok Catholic Church

Overview

Bongdeok Church is a church in Bongdeok-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists it as the Bongdeok-dong Parish, which was separated from the Daebong-dong Parish on July 5, 1977 and whose patron is Apostle St. Peter.

History

[Establishment] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that in October 1976, Jang Tae-sik (Lino), the 5th pastor of the Daebong-dong Parish, began full-scale planning for the parish division, and that the Bongdeok-dong Parish was established on July 5, 1977 while construction of a new church was well underway on the present site (376 pyeong) provided by the diocese. The establishment date July 5, 1977 also appears in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory and in the Archdiocese of Daegu parish information. The encyclopedia gives the patron as St. Peter, while the directory gives Apostle St. Peter.

[Early church and education hall] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first pastor Kim Mun-sun completed a church with a total of 160 pyeong (church 80 pyeong, rectory and catechesis room 80 pyeong) on November 16, 1977, and the 2th pastor Kang Chan-hyeong newly built a catechesis room on March 10, 1980. The 3th pastor, Jeon Ju-won, when the Sang-dong Parish was separated and established on November 1980, transferred 272 parish registers. Because meeting rooms were insufficient, in the following year, November 1, 1981, an education hall with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors and a total floor area of 138 pyeong was newly built.

[Construction of the new church] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that after Hyosong Women’s University (now Daegu Hyosong Catholic University), located within the jurisdiction, moved to the Hayang Campus in Gyeongsan on March 1987 and an apartment complex was built there so that the number of the faithful surged, it was decided to build a new church and an additional nearby site of 150 pyeong was purchased, construction began on March 21, 1988, and on November 13 of the same year a church with a scale of 490 pyeong was completed.

[Separation of St. Paul Parish and later developments] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, after the Catholic University of Daegu (now the School of Theology of Daegu Hyosong Catholic University) within the jurisdiction moved to the Namsan-dong school building on June 1, 1991 and Daedeok Apartments were built there, the number of the faithful grew and division of the parish became unavoidable. Accordingly, the Bongdeok-dong Parish separated and established the St. Paul Parish on March 15, 1992, transferring 658 parish registers. The parish, marking the 20th anniversary of its establishment in 1997, conducted a survey of the faithful and, based on the results, drew up long- and short-term development plans; at the time the encyclopedia was written, it was actively carrying out the Life Community Movement and presenting an image of a Church taking the lead in environmental preservation.

[Jurisdiction and statistics] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction as the entire area of Bongdeok 2-dong and 3-dong and parts of Bongdeok 1-dong, Sang-dong and Pa-dong, and gives the church statistics as in 1977 1,598 faithful, in 1984 3,008 faithful, in 1991 4,712 faithful, and in 1996 3,962 faithful. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory gives the jurisdictional area as all of Bongdeok 2-dong and parts of Bongdeok 1-dong and 3-dong, the number of the faithful as 2,106, the affiliated women’s religious congregation as the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and states that there is no Catholic mission chapel.

[Successive pastors] The successive pastors listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Kim Mun-sun Clement (1977.7-1978.1), the 2th Kang Chan-hyeong Pascal (1978.1-1980.5), the 3th Jeon Ju-won Paul (1980.5-1985.1), the 4th Lee Jeong-u Albert (1985.1-1989.2), the 5th Jeong Hak-mo Luke (1989.2-1993.10), and the 6th Lee Sang-ho Peter (1993.10-present at the time the encyclopedia was written).

Related places and people

• Daebong-dong Church: the Bongdeok-dong Parish was separated and established from this parish on July 5, 1977 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sang-dong Parish: it was separated and established on November 1980, and the Bongdeok-dong Parish transferred 272 parish registers (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• St. Paul Parish: it was separated and established from the Bongdeok-dong Parish on March 15, 1992 and received 658 parish registers (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Jang Tae-sik (Lino): as the 5th pastor of the Daebong-dong Parish, he began full-scale planning for the parish division in October 1976 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Bongdeok-dong Parish”. Separation and establishment from the Daebong-dong Parish on July 5, 1977, establishment process, early church and education hall, completion of the new church in 1988, separation of the St. Paul Parish, church statistics, jurisdiction, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2639
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory in Korea “Bongdeok” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Establishment date 1977.07.05, patron Apostle St. Peter, number of the faithful, religious congregation, jurisdictional area.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000819&gubn2=all&char=all
3. Archdiocese of Daegu, Parish Information “Bongdeokcheong”. Date of establishment July 5, 1977.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=49&premenu&srl=church_search