Cheonbu Catholic Church

Overview

Cheonbu Church is a church belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu in Cheonbu-ri, Buk-myeon, Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It was established on January 1, 1966, separated from the Dodong parish, its patron saint is St. Paul the Apostle, and its first pastor was Father Yu Seung-yeol (Bartholomew).

History

[Catholicism on Ulleungdo and Cheonbu] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that when settlers flowed into Ulleungdo after the promulgation of the reclamation decree in 1882, Catholics trembling in anxiety from persecution also entered together and a faith community was formed, but exchanges with evangelizing priests and missionaries were cut off after a letter from Father Kim Won-yeong (Augustine) in 1906. The Cheonbu parish entry in this encyclopedia states that the Gospel was preached again when Hyeon Jae-ryong (Pius), from Gangseo County in South Pyongan Province, settled in Cheonbu for evangelization in December 1955. Hyeon formed the Ulleung Central Church Founding Committee centered on local young people and, borrowing a Nonghyup building, began evangelization activities together with Christmas preparations that year.

[Era as a Catholic mission chapel] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on the recommendation of Hyeon Jae-ryong, Hyeon Sang-hyeon (Rogo) was appointed by Bishop Seo Jeong-gil as general president for evangelization on Ulleungdo in May 1956, and in July purchased chapel houses in Cheonbu, Nari and Seokpo. Father Jeon Seok-jae (Ignatius), dispatched by the diocese in July 1957, departed from Pohang and, when wind and waves prevented the ship from docking at its destination Dodong, landed at Cheonbu and celebrated the first Mass at Cheonbu National School (the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia writes that this first Mass was celebrated on July 28, 1956, in the schoolyard of Cheonbu Elementary School with about 600 people in attendance). In the same year, through Hyeon Sang-hyeon’s evangelization work, about 1,500 people were baptized throughout Ulleungdo, and in July 1958 the Cheonbu Catholic mission chapel was expanded from a 3-bay house to a 5-bay shingle-roofed house, and in March 1960 Dodong parish, the first parish on Ulleungdo, was established.

[Preparation for elevation to parish and construction of a new church] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that Yi Gil-jun (Paul), the first pastor of Dodong parish, seeking to elevate the Cheonbu Catholic mission chapel to a parish, purchased 550 pyeong of land in March 1965 with the help of an Austrian Catholic organization through the good offices of Mrs. Franziska of the S.O.S. Children’s Village, and organized a church building fund committee. Construction of the new church began in June of the same year, and before the church was completed, in January 1966 the Cheonbu Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish and Father Yu Seung-yeol was appointed as the first pastor. Father Yu purchased an additional 321 pyeong of land in March of the same year because the rear of the church site was narrow, completed the Hyeonpo Catholic mission chapel construction begun in July 1965 before his appointment, and in October 1966 closed the Chusan, Boncheonbu and Jugam Catholic mission chapels. In October 1968 the church was completed on a total site of 871 pyeong with a building area of 80 pyeong, and in August 1969 the Seokpo Catholic mission chapel was closed. The Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia also records the start of construction in June 1965 and the parish beginning on January 1, 1966, and the monthly magazine Bit (materials provided by Cheonbu Church) states that Cheonbu Church came to be built on January 1, 1966, when there were 16 churches and Catholic mission chapels on Ulleungdo including Dodong Church, and that help was received from the Austrian Catholic Women’s Association because a church was needed in the Cheonbu area.

[Return to a Catholic mission chapel and re-establishment as a parish] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that residents sharply decreased due to successive typhoon damage and poor fishing at the beginning of 1970, and because of the shortage of priests and difficulties in operating the parish, after the 2 pastor Father Lee Gang-eon (Paul) was transferred in October 1975, Cheonbu parish again became a Catholic mission chapel under Dodong parish. A rectory was built in July 1990, and it was re-established as a parish when Father Choe Hwan-uk (Beda) was appointed as the 3 pastor in July 1992 (the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records the re-establishment as the appointment of Father Choe Hwan-uk in 1991). The 4 pastor Father Kim Yul-seok completed a 2-story education hall on November 23, 1993, and celebrated its blessing ceremony. The 5 pastor Father Lee Gi-tae worked to revitalize parish groups and founded the Queen of Apostles Praesidium and the Immaculate Queen Curia in 1997.

[50th anniversary of foundation] According to the monthly magazine Bit, marking the 50th anniversary of the parish foundation, Archbishop Jo Hwan-gil (Thaddeus) celebrated the blessing ceremony of the spirituality center and presided at the dedication Mass for the new church building on Wednesday, June 29, at 10:30 in the morning. 18 diocesan priests attended, including Abbot Park Hyeon-dong (Blaise) of Waegwan Abbey of the Order of St. Benedict and the first pastor Father Yu Seung-yeol (Bartholomew). In his homily Archbishop Jo mentioned that for the 50th anniversary the rebuilding of the church, the expansion of the education hall and the new construction of the spirituality center were accomplished all at once, and pastor Father Na Gi-jeong (Daniel) said that for this construction he had visited about 30 churches to raise funds.

[Jurisdiction and church statistics] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is the entire Buk-myeon of Ulleung-gun and part of Seo-myeon. Church statistics are 514 people in 1966, 262 people in 1972, 363 people in 1992, 361 people in 1997, and 197 people in 2002. Successive priests were the first Yu Seung-yeol, Bartholomew (1966.1–1970.11), the 2 Lee Gang-eon, Paul (1970.11–1975.10), the 3 Choe Hwan-uk, Beda (1992.7–1993.10), the 4 Kim Yul-seok, Matthew (1993.10–1996.8), the 5 Lee Gi-tae, Peter (1996.8–1998.8), Park Chang-hwan, Leo (1998.8–2000.8), the 6 Shin Jong-ho, Benedict (2000.8–2002.6), and the 7 Kim Bong-jin, Andrea (2002.6–) (ordinal numbers as in the encyclopedia). The Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records as of 2007 about 150 faithful with pastor Father Choe Gwang-deuk (Thomas), and as of 2016 about 150 faithful with pastor Father Na Gi-jeong (Daniel). The Segye Ilbo (2015) also names Na Gi-jeong as the pastor of Cheonbu.

Architecture and Space

Marking the 50th anniversary of the parish foundation, the rebuilding of the church, the expansion of the education hall and the new construction of the spirituality center were carried out (monthly magazine Bit). The spirituality center introduced by the monthly magazine Bit is a facility with 6 rooms for 5 people (8 pyeong) and 3 rooms for 3 people (5 pyeong), 6 kitchen counters allowing self-cooking and tables (40 seats), and a rest area and observatory with a view of the sea.

The Daegu Archdiocese parish information guides visitors to the spirituality center (travelers’ lodging) as an附属 facility.

Related Places and People

• Dodong Church: established in 1960 as the first parish on Ulleungdo, it had jurisdiction over the Cheonbu Catholic mission chapel and is the mother parish that separated Cheonbu parish in 1966, and from 1975 to the early 1990s it again had jurisdiction over Cheonbu as a Catholic mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Hyeon Sang-hyeon (Rogo): appointed by Bishop Seo Jeong-gil in 1956 as general president for evangelization on Ulleungdo, he prepared chapel houses in Cheonbu and elsewhere and carried out evangelization work (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia).
• Father Jeon Seok-jae (Ignatius): the priest who celebrated the first Mass at the school in Cheonbu (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia).
• Abbot Park Hyeon-dong (Blaise) of Waegwan Abbey of the Order of St. Benedict: according to the monthly magazine Bit, he attended the dedication Mass for the 50th anniversary of the parish foundation.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Cheonbu Parish” (vol. 10). Separation and foundation from Dodong parish on January 1, 1966, patron saint, jurisdiction, church statistics, successive priests, era as a Catholic mission chapel, construction of the church, return to a Catholic mission chapel and re-establishment as a parish.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5908
2. Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Cheonbu Church”. Date of foundation January 1, 1966, patron saint St. Paul the Apostle,附属 facility spirituality center.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=113&premenu=c1&srl=church_search&y_id=113
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia “Cheonbu Catholic Church”. Start of construction in June 1965, parish beginning on January 1, 1966, belonging to Dodong in 1975, re-establishment as a parish, numbers of faithful and pastors.
   https://www.grandculture.net/ulleung/toc/GC01500887
4. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia “Catholicism”. Transmission of Catholicism to Ulleungdo, resumption of evangelization in 1956, first Mass, establishment of Catholic mission chapels, present state of Cheonbu Catholic Church.
   https://www.grandculture.net/ulleung/toc/GC01500870
5. Monthly magazine Bit, “Dedication Mass for the New Church and Blessing Ceremony of the Spirituality Center Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Foundation of Cheonbu Church”. Circumstances of the foundation on January 1, 1966, dedication of the new church and blessing of the spirituality center for the 50th anniversary, facilities of the spirituality center.
   https://www.lightzine.co.kr/last.html?num=2935&p=v
6. Segye Ilbo, “If You Go to Dodong Church on Ulleungdo, Worldly Worries Disappear” (2015.8.18). The two churches on Ulleungdo and the pastor of Cheonbu.
   https://www.segye.com/newsView/20150818003584