Daemyung Catholic Church

Overview

Daemyeong Church is a church in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu. Beginning as a gathering of the faithful who celebrated Catholic mission chapel rites around 1950, it passed through a quasi-parish and was separated from Namsan-dong Parish on August 19, 1973 to become a parish, with Saint John the Baptist as patron. The first pastor was Father Na Hyeon-seung (Stefano, Stephen Raster).

History

[Mission-chapel period] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, the faithful of Daemyeong-dong under the jurisdiction of Namsan-dong Parish began gathering around 1950 at the house of Lee Hyo-sang (Agillo) in Daemyeong 1-dong (now Daemyeong 9-dong) to celebrate Catholic mission chapel rites, thus starting as a Catholic mission chapel. It moved around 1954 to the auditorium of Daeseong Orphanage at 920 Bongdeok-dong, and moved again around 1957 to the nursing center at 780-7, Daemyeong 1-dong (the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia gives the nursing-center location as 78-7, Daemyeong 1-dong). After celebrating Sunday Mass while moving for over 10 years, the faithful began attending Sunday Mass at the convent church when the Carmel Convent was built on September 1962 at 936-1, Daemyeong 9-dong, and were then raised to a quasi-parish. Father Carolus Meeus (C. Meeus, Cha Mae-u), spiritual director of the Carmel Convent, pastored the Daemyeong-dong quasi-parish.

[Elevation to parish] According to the encyclopedia, a Catholic seminary founded by Waegwan Saint Benedict Abbey at the commission of Archbishop Seo Jeong-gil stood inside the cultural hall of Gyesan-dong Parish, and this seminary moved on May 1969 to the present parish site, with new seminary and dormitory buildings built that year on September. While considering elevating the Daemyeong quasi-parish to a parish, the seminary and Benedict Abbey hoped to limit parish jurisdiction to Daemyeong 5-dong and operate it as a practice parish for student sisters, but under diocesan policy it was decided to assume a broad jurisdiction and to build the church on the seminary site. Construction began in the summer of 1972 and, with the completion in the following year on August 19 of a 2-story church with an area of 650 pyeong, it was elevated to a parish. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia writes that it was separated from Namsan Church on August 19, 1973 and had jurisdiction over the entire districts of Daemyeong-dong, Seongdang-dong, Wolbae-myeon and Songhyeon-dong. The foundation date August 19, 1973 is also listed in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory and the Archdiocese of Daegu parish information.

[Growth and division] According to the encyclopedia, the Daemyeong-dong area became a new housing district owing to the opening of a ring road and land readjustment following the Daedeok Park development begun in 1970, and as population and faithful increased, Daedeok Parish was separated on July 1978. On January 1981 pastoral council members were elected by vote of the faithful, and on October retaining-wall work and convent repair work were carried out. When Saint Benedict Abbey decided on July 20, 1982 to close the women’s dormitory and lend the building as housing for aspirants of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters, the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres who had worked in the dormitory and parish since February 1969 withdrew, and sisters of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters were dispatched to the parish to assist in pastoral work. On January 1983 it helped organize a committee to promote the construction of Bonri-dong Parish. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia writes that the first lay apostolate council was organized on January 10, 1982.

[Transfer of pastoral jurisdiction and afterward] The encyclopedia and the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia write that pastoral jurisdiction was transferred to the Archdiocese of Daegu following the dissolution of the Waegwan Vicariate (Saint Benedict Abbey) on March 1, 1986. The encyclopedia writes that a parish-affiliated senior college was opened on March 1987 as a 1-year course but was closed after producing graduates only through the 2th class because of operational problems, while the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia writes that a senior college was opened in 1987. Church extension work began on May 1991 and a dedication ceremony was held that year on November 24 (encyclopedia), and the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia writes that church rebuilding was completed on November 24, 1991 and rectory and convent rebuilding were completed in 1997. On November 1994 a lecture and demonstration on the meaning and method of the Yeondo, the prayers for the dead, was held under the auspices of the lay council (encyclopedia). According to the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia, the quarterly newsletter “Morning Sunlight in the Courtyard” was first published on June 24, 1999, the “30-Year History of Daemyeong Parish” was published on June 13, 2002, and a Bible college was founded on April 13, 2005 and a Saerona Bible College on April 26, 2007. From August 29, 2007 to November 30 the youth service group visited Uganda for volunteer work, and from February 18, 2008 to March 2 the exhibition “Dreaming of Africa - Light and Shadow of Uganda” was held.

[Situation in the 2020s] The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia writes that as of January 2022 the pastor was Lee Seong-geun (Saba) and registered faithful numbered 3,044, and lists as organizations the pastoral council, liturgy department, district council, Sunday school, mothers’ association, Cursillo association, Our Lady of the Pillar Curia, military chaplaincy support association, altar-linen association, Requiem association, Inseong association, vocation support association, youth group, altar servers, commentators’ association, charismatic prayer group, Daemyeong mountaineering club and others. Annual activities include parish community meetings, small-community meetings and story-sharing room meetings. This source evaluates Daemyeong Church as a Catholic church needed for studying the spread of Catholicism in the Nam-gu area of Daegu since the 1970s and the status and role of Catholicism in the local community.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] Church statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are 1,021 persons in 1973, 2,704 persons in 1977, 1,303 persons in 1978, 2,203 persons in 1983, 3,051 persons in 1988, 3,452 persons in 1992, and 3,374 persons in 1994. Successive priests are the first Raster (Na Hyeon-seung) Stefano (1973.8–1978.8), second Jeong Hak-geun Moses (1978.8–1984.11), third Raster (1984.11–1986.6), fourth Lee Hyeong-u Simon Peter (1986.6–1988.8), fifth Park Dae-jong Dionysius (1988.8–1991.1), sixth Go Geon-sang Melchior (1991.1–1995.1), and seventh Seo Ung-beom Bernard (1995.1–time of writing), with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 indicating the order. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory lists the sisters’ community as the Daegu Convent of the Tutzing Missionary Benedictine Sisters, the number of Catholic mission chapels as 0, and the jurisdiction as all of Daemyeong 5-dong and part of Daemyeong 9-dong.

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, the present parish site was also the site of the Catholic seminary founded by Waegwan Saint Benedict Abbey, and construction began in the summer of 1972, with completion on August 19, 1973 of a 2-story church with an area of 650 pyeong. In 1991 extension and rebuilding work was carried out and a dedication ceremony was held on November 24. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia gives the address at foundation as 289-2, Daemyeong 5-dong, and the later changed present location as 253 Daemyeong-ro [1701 Daemyeong-dong].

Related Places and Figures

• Namsan-dong Parish (Namsan Church): the mother parish from which Daemyeong Church was separated in 1973 (Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia). The encyclopedia writes that Daemyeong-dong Parish separated Daedeok Parish on July 1978.
• Carmel Convent: established on September 1962 at 936-1, Daemyeong 9-dong, and the faithful of the Daemyeong Catholic mission chapel attended Sunday Mass at this convent church (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Waegwan Saint Benedict Abbey and Catholic Seminary: moved on May 1969 to the present parish site. Pastoral authority was transferred on March 1, 1986 from Waegwan Saint Benedict Abbey to the Archdiocese of Daegu (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Bonri-dong Parish: Daemyeong-dong Parish helped organize a construction promotion committee on January 1983 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, “Daemyeong-dong Parish” (vol. 3). Mission-chapel period, elevation to parish, growth and division, church extension in 1991, church statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1262
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia, “Daemyeong Church.” Changes from Catholic mission chapel to parish, rebuilding in 1991, rectory and convent rebuilding in 1997, newsletters and Bible colleges, situation and significance as of January 2022.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40004611
3. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory in Korea, “Daemyeong” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Foundation date 1973.08.19, patron Saint John the Baptist, sisters’ community, jurisdiction.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000785&gubn2=all&char=all
4. Archdiocese of Daegu, Parish Information, “Daemyeong Church.” Foundation date August 19, 1973, patron Saint John the Baptist.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=20&premenu&srl=church_search