Dodong Catholic Church

Overview

Dodong Church is a church in Dodong-ri, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, belonging to the Daegu Archdiocese. It was established on March 17, 1960 as the first parish on Ulleungdo, its patron is Mary conceived without original sin, and its first pastor was Father Yi Gil-jun (Paul).

History

[Early history of Catholicism on Ulleungdo] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that after the promulgation of the reclamation decree in 1882, a faith community was formed as Catholics trembling with anxiety under persecution entered together when settlers began flowing into Ulleungdo in earnest. A letter sent in 1905 to Bishop Withel by Father Tournier, the 6th pastor of Anbyon (Naepyeong) Parish in the southern end of Hamgyong Province, states that the people of Ulleungdo had been learning doctrine for several years, and a letter from Father Kim Won-yeong (Augustino) in 1906 contains news of prospective believers on Ulleungdo suffering from monsoon rains and landslides, but afterwards contact with missionary priests and missionaries was cut off and it entered a period of silence. The Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia writes that although a story is handed down that Catholic believer Bak Geun-sil entered the island with the reclamation decree in 1882, no account of activities for spreading Catholicism has been handed down, and it reports that Segye Ilbo (2015) says a Catholic faith community already existed on Ulleungdo in 1880.

[Resumption of evangelization] The Dodong Parish entry of the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that on Ulleungdo, where the thread of faith had been maintained through personal prayer life, the Gospel was again proclaimed when Hyeon Jae-ryong (Pius) from Gangseo-gun, South Pyongan Province, volunteered to Bishop Seo Jeong-gil for the evangelization of Ulleungdo in December 1956 (the Cheonbu Parish entry of the same encyclopedia and the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia give this as December 1955, and the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia spells the name as Hyeon Je-ryong). Hyeon Jae-ryong entered Ulleungdo together with colleagues Kim Sang-yun (John) and Yi Yun-ok (John Bosco), formed the Ulleung Central Church Founding Committee centered on local youths Han Jin-ho, Choe Hong, Son Tae-su and Bak Il-dong, borrowed a storeroom of the agricultural cooperative building, and began full-scale evangelization with Christmas preparations that year. As catechumens surged, they borrowed a large building managed by a school or the county office to celebrate Sunday liturgy, and founded a choir with the cooperation of Hong Pil-yeol, a teacher at the fisheries high school. According to the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia, Hyeon Je-ryong and his party, finding local living conditions destitute, asked the National Catholic Welfare Conference for help and laid the foundation for self-reliance while distributing corn, wheat flour, clothing and other goods free of charge.

[General president for evangelization and mission chapels] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in April 1957 Hyeon Jae-ryong and Han Jin-ho met Bishop Seo Jeong-gil to give the first report on evangelization on Ulleungdo, requested relief goods from the N.C.W.C. and relieved the poor, and in May of the same year Bishop Seo Jeong-gil appointed Hyeon Sang-hyeon (Rogo) as general president for evangelization on Ulleungdo to teach doctrine and prepare the establishment of the church. The Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia dates Hyeon Sang-hyeon’s appointment as general president for evangelization to May 1956, and records that in July of that year mission chapels were installed in Cheonbu-ri, Nari, Seokpo-ri and other places, and that in 1957 mission chapels were newly established in Namyang-ri, Sadong-ri, Taeha-ri and Pyeong-ri.

[First Mass and baptisms] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the first Mass was offered at Cheonbu National School on July 28, 1957, celebrated by Father Jeon Seok-jae (Ignatius) dispatched from the diocese, while the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records that Father Jeon Seok-jae, president of Daegu Catholic University, entered the island on July 28, 1956 and celebrated the first Mass in the schoolyard of Cheonbu Elementary School with 600 people attending. Then a Sister of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Pohang entered to treat leprosy patients. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that in May 1958 Fathers Sin Sang-do (Augustino) and Kim Gyu-tae (Timothy) entered and baptized 1,400 people in 15 mission chapels, that in August of the same year Father Yun Eul-su (Laurence) of the Mutual Help Eucharistic Society entered, in September Father Pospical (Bae) of the Maryknoll Society entered and administered baptism and confession, and that in May 1959 Fathers Yi Chang-ho (Andrew) and Bak Yong-sang (Gabriel) were active. The Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records that the baptism ceremony by Fathers Sin Sang-do and Kim Gyu-tae was held for ten days from May 12, 1957, baptizing 1,403 residents.

[Loss of the temporary church] According to the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia, the temporary church in Dodong was lost to fire on May 17, 1958, and Mass continued as open-air gatherings. By 1960, there were 12 mission chapels across Ulleungdo.

[Establishment of the parish and construction of the church] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that with the establishment of the parish in March 1960 Father Yi Gil-jun became the first pastor, that in December of that year 451 pyeong of the present church site was purchased, and that in May of the following year the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church was held thanks to fundraising by the Austrian Children’s Mission Society. The church with a floor area of 158 pyeong was blessed and dedicated on August 4, 1963 by Archbishop Seo Jeong-gil, and the following year a branch of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was installed and began cooperating in pastoral ministry. Meanwhile the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records that on March 27, 1960 Father Yi Gil-jun was appointed and came as the first pastor, and that on August 11, 1963 construction of Dodong Church began with church building funds donated by the Austrian Women’s Association. The establishment date in the Daegu Archdiocese parish information is March 17, 1960.

[Development in 1960–90] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the parish-affiliated kindergarten opened in July 1963 was reopened in 1974, the rectory was newly built in August 1978, and a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the church was held in August 1983. In 1985, the Dodong convent and youth education center were built; this education center, groundbroken in May 1985 for student ministry and young visitors coming for training in the Year of Youth, was built by the faithful through daily volunteer labor. In 1995, the kindergarten was newly built. The Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records that in December 1977 Father Jeong Chun-seok (Augustino), the first priest from Ulleungdo, was ordained, that in 1985 the Dodong Convent was built, and that in 1990 the rectory was completed.

[Separation of Cheonbu Parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Dodong Parish, which had been preparing to raise Cheonbu mission chapel to the 2th parish on Ulleungdo, began construction of the new Cheonbu church in June 1965 and separated Cheonbu Parish in 1966. Cheonbu Parish became a mission chapel under Dodong Parish again in 1975 for lack of priests and geographical reasons, then built a rectory in 1990 and was re-established as a parish when Father Choe Hwan-uk came in July 1992.

[The 2000s] Segye Ilbo (2015) reports that the 17th pastor, Father Kim Tae-han, began large-scale remodeling in 2008 ahead of the 50nd anniversary of the parish establishment (2010). Large-scale repairs were unavoidable after Typhoon Nabi covered all of Ulleungdo in 2005. In 2009, the Statue of Our Lady Protecting Dokdo was dedicated, and thereafter every year on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary on August 15, a prayer procession has continued from Dodong Harbor to the statue as the Day of Our Lady Protecting Dokdo. The same article introduces it as Dodong Church of the Daegu Archdiocese (pastor Son Seong-ho), which celebrated Mass on Dokdo itself on the 17th for the first time in the history of Korean Catholicism. In 2015, it was selected as a Soul Stay site with 11 Catholic institutions in North Gyeongsang Province participating, operating “Soul Stay, leaving for the island to find myself.”

[Jurisdiction and church statistics] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is Ulleung-eup and Namyang-ri in Seomyeon, while the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia records that as part of the 4th vicariate of the Daegu Archdiocese it has jurisdiction over all of Dodong, Jeodong, Sadong and Namseo-ri, with about 400 faithful and a convent, office and kindergarten in operation (the Catholicism entry of the Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction as Dodong-ri, Jeodong-ri and Namseo-ri). The church statistics are 1,402 persons in 1968, 1,581 persons in 1975, 1,569 persons in 1980, 1,710 persons in 1985, 1,297 persons in 1990, and 1,010 persons in 1994. The successive pastors are the first, Yi Gil-jun Paul (1960.3–1966.1), the 2th, Yi Sang-ho Peter (1966.1–1968.9), the 3th, Yu Seung-ryeol Bartholomew (1968.9–1970.1), the 4st, Bak Byeong-gi Benedict (1970.1–1974.12), the 5th, Yi Gang-eon Paul (1974.12–1975.10), the 6th, Gang Taek-gyu Jerome (1975.10–1979.11), the 7th, Yun Im-gyu Thomas (1979.11–1983.1), the 8rd, Won Yu-sul James (1983.1–1986.1), the 9th, U Je-jin Marcellinus (1986.1–1988.6), the 10th, Bak Sang-ho John (1988.6–1990.6), the 11nd, Kim Sang-ryeol Thomas Aquinas (1990.6–1991.3), the 12th, Kim Yeong-gi Andrew (1991.3–1993.10), and the 13th, Choe Hwan-uk Beda (1993.10–) (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

Architecture and Space

Segye Ilbo (2015) describes it as a small church built on a hill near Dodong Harbor on a 2-story scale. Through remodeling in 2008, the interior of the sanctuary was decorated on the theme of the sea and boats to suit Ulleungdo, famous for squid fishing; the sanctuary ceiling reproduces the bottom of a squid fishing boat, and the lamps hung from the ceiling are the lights used to catch squid.

According to the same article, the artworks decorating the church are works of Korean painter Son Suk-hui, with the seas and lakes in the Bible as motifs. The center of the altar wall depicts two fish and bread in art tiles, recalling the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and the windows on both sides of the church are finished with Korean paintings on hanji paper depicting biblical content instead of stained glass. The windows to the right facing the altar contain Old Testament scenes such as Noah’s Ark, and the windows to the left contain New Testament stories such as Jesus walking on water or feeding 5,000 people with the loaves and fishes.

The tree-shaped decoration beside the tabernacle to the right of the altar, when all sanctuary lights are turned off, receives red lighting and looks as if burning, representing the burning bush where God called Moses. It was made by collecting coral growing in the deep sea off Ulleungdo (Segye Ilbo).

Related Places and People

• Statue of Our Lady Protecting Dokdo: a marble Marian statue 2.3 m high and 60 cm wide, produced as a project commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Dodong Church. Artist Yi Gwang-su (James) made and donated it with prayers for the protection of Dokdo and world peace, the stairs ascending to the statue number 88, and along the detour to the right there are 14 Stations of the Cross (Segye Ilbo).
• Cheonbu Church: another parish on Ulleungdo separated from Dodong Parish in 1966 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: the congregation whose branch was installed in Dodong Parish in 1964 and cooperated in pastoral ministry (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Jeong Chun-seok (Augustino): the first priest from Ulleungdo, ordained in December 1977 (Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia). Segye Ilbo records that he died in 2003.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Dodong Parish” (Vol. 3). Establishment of the parish on March 17, 1960, patron, jurisdiction, church statistics, successive pastors, early history of Catholicism on Ulleungdo and resumption of evangelization, purchase of church site and dedication in 1963, separation of Cheonbu Parish.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1381
2. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Cheonbu Parish” (Vol. 10). Account that Dodong Parish is the first parish on Ulleungdo, start of construction of Cheonbu church in 1965.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5908
3. Daegu Archdiocese, parish information “Dodong Church”. Establishment date March 17, 1960, patron Mary conceived without original sin.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=32&premenu=c1&srl=church_search&y_id=32
4. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia “Dodong Catholic Church”. Appointment of the first pastor on March 27, 1960, groundbreaking on August 11, 1963, branch of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1964, first priest from Ulleungdo in 1977, jurisdiction and present state.
   https://www.grandculture.net/ulleung/toc/GC01500881
5. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Ulleung Culture Encyclopedia “Catholicism”. Story of transmission after the reclamation decree in 1882, resumption of evangelization in 1956, first Mass and baptisms, fire of the temporary church in 1958, installation of mission chapels and present state.
   https://www.grandculture.net/ulleung/toc/GC01500870
6. Segye Ilbo, “If you visit Dodong Church on Ulleungdo, worldly cares disappear” (2015.8.18). Remodeling in 2008 and sanctuary interior, Statue of Our Lady Protecting Dokdo, Mass on Dokdo, Soul Stay.
   https://www.segye.com/newsView/20150818003584