Dongchon Catholic Church

Overview

Dongchon Church is a church in Geomsa-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu. On September 26, 1957, it was separated from Sinam-dong Parish (Sinam Church) and established, and its patron is the Korean Martyrs (the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea directory lists them as the 103 Korean Martyrs). The first pastor was Father Kang Chan-hyeong (Pascal). It is the mother parish of Bullo Parish and Yonggye Parish.

History

[Introduction of the Gospel and Catechism Classes] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, the Dongchon area was originally a farming village called Haean, and the Gospel was introduced at the end of the Japanese colonial period. Farmers had been exploited by Japanese landlords during the colonial period and, during the 6·25 disturbance, had land and houses requisitioned for airfield expansion work, so most were poor. In 1944, the household of Baek Mu-jo (Joachim) moved into this area, after which evangelization began, and around 1952, as relief supplies from the Catholic relief agency were distributed, poor residents entered the Church in growing numbers. Around 1955, the Daegu diocesan office took over Husaengwon, an orphanage from the colonial period located in Geomsa-dong, opened Seongga Home for the Aged there, and started a catechumen catechism class there, drawing catechumens not only from nearby Geomsa-dong and Bangchon-dong but also from Bullo-dong, Do-dong, Pyeonggwang-dong, Dunsan-dong and other areas.

[Establishment as a Parish] According to the encyclopedia, as catechumens increased, from spring 1957 the catechism classes were divided into three groups: catechumens in the Bangchon-dong area received instruction at the house of Baek Mu-jo, and catechumens in the Do-dong, Bullo-dong and Pyeonggwang-dong areas at the house of Yang Gyu-sik (Joseph) in Do-dong. The Missionary Benedictine Sisters assigned to Sinam-dong Parish taught the classes. As the faithful grew and the distance to the supervising Sinam-dong Parish caused inconvenience, about 50 faithful in this area proposed the establishment of a parish to Bishop Seo Jeong-gil, then Vicar Apostolic of Daegu, in spring 1957. With 700 man hwan in support from the Sinam-dong Parish council, they purchased 1,400 pyeong of land at the present site, and on September 26, with the dedication ceremony of the church, the parish was established. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia also states that on September 26, 1957 it was separated from Sinam-dong Parish and founded and was raised to a parish at the same time as the dedication ceremony, and the establishment date September 26, 1957 also appears in the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea directory and the Archdiocese of Daegu parish information.

[Facilities] According to the encyclopedia, the rectory was built in summer 1961 at the personal expense of Father Kwon Yeong-jo. The convent was first built in 1972 and then rebuilt on March 1979, with the old convent thereafter used as catechism rooms. On September 1984, a rectory and an auditorium were built. In 1987, for the 30th anniversary of the parish establishment, the rectory was expanded to 2 stories and named Andrea Hall.

[Pastoral Activities] The encyclopedia states that in the early years the church equipped its auxiliary facilities, formed organizations such as the council and the Blessed Women's Association, and established Catholic mission chapels including the Baegan Catholic mission chapel. It gradually abolished the system of evangelization presidents, and on January 1973 established a branch house of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, reorganized the Sunday school system, and held a mountain summer school the following summer. It organized 7 groups including the Blessed Women's Association, the Dongseonghoe and the Buhwalhoe, as well as student associations, formed neighborhood meetings, greatly increased the number of praesidia, and held a Holy Spirit seminar for all the faithful. In 1982 it founded the Inseonghoe, and in 1983 it established a credit union to help poor faithful become self-reliant. From 1984 it ran the Donggwang Senior College of the eastern Daegu branch, and in 1986 it expanded the vocation support association to all parishioners, setting 10% of church dues as support dues. From March 1987 to September, it held events commemorating the 30th anniversary of the parish establishment and published the History of Dongchon Parish over 30 Years.

[Separation of Daughter Parishes] The encyclopedia states that because the jurisdiction was very large, separating daughter parishes was a necessary task. As a commemorative project in 1984 in preparation for the 200th anniversary of the Korean Catholic Church, it purchased church sites in Bullo-dong (700 pyeong) and Yonggye-dong (711 pyeong), and in 1990 formed a committee to promote construction of Bullo Church, raising 10 eok won and holding the church blessing ceremony on December 27, 1991. It states that Yonggye-dong became independent on December 5, 1993, but only the basement level had been built with diocesan support, and the rest was planned to be built under the joint burden of the churches of the 2rd district of Daegu. The Bullo Parish entry in the encyclopedia states that Bullo Parish was raised from a Catholic mission chapel under Dongchon Parish to a parish on December 12, 1991.

[Jurisdiction and Church Statistics] As for jurisdiction, the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism lists Geomsa-dong, Bangchon-dong, Ipseok-dong, Bu-dong and Dunsan-dong (with 1 Dunsan Catholic mission chapels under its jurisdiction), while the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea directory lists all of Geomsa-dong, Dunsan-dong, Bu-dong and Ipseok-dong and parts of Bangchon-dong and Jijeo-dong (with 1 Catholic mission chapels). The encyclopedia gives church membership as 120 people in 1957, 375 people in 1960, 1,477 people in 1970, 2,269 people in 1980, 4,290 people in 1988, 5,044 people in 1991, and 3,033 people in 1994. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia states that faith formation, Bible study, a social welfare committee, district councils, Sunday schools and others are active, and that 1 pastor, 1 assistant priests, along with a pastoral council, a finance council, committees, district councils, and a council of lay apostolate organizations are organized.

[Successive Pastors] The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism lists the founding pastor Kang Chan-hyeong, Pascal (1957.9-1958.4), interim Kim Hui-seon, Joseph (1958.5-9), interim Yu Seong-suk, Ludovico (1958.9-1959.4), 2th Choe Bong-do, Saverio (1959.4-6), 3st Kwon Yeong-jo, Mark (1959.6-1962.7), 4th Jeong Haeng-man, Saverio (1962.7-1964.8), 5th Jang Byeong-bo, Peter (1964.8-12), 6th Park Do-sik, Dominic (1964.12-1965.1), 7rd Haupt (Heo Bo-gang), Wolfgang (1965.1-1972.11), interim Lee Mun-hui, Paul (1966.7-12), 8th Park Chun-taek, Peter (1972.1-1973.1), 9st Gwak Gil-u, Peter (1973.1-1977.7), 10th Yun Gwang-je, David (1977.7-1982.1), 11th Heo Yeon-gu, Moses (1982.1-1986.1), 12th Lee Chang-ho, Andrew (1986.1-1989.6), 13rd Jeong Gi-mo, John Bosco (1989.6-1991.12), and 14th Kang Taek-gyu, Jerome (1991.12-time of writing).

[Significance] The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia evaluates Dongchon Church as a Catholic church needed for studying the process of Catholic propagation in the Dong-gu area of Daegu from the 1950s to the 2010s and the status and role of Catholicism in the local community.

Related Places and People

• Sinam Church (Sinam-dong Parish): the mother parish from which Dongchon Church was separated in 1957 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia). The Sinam-dong Parish council provided 700 man hwan toward the purchase of the parish site.
• Bullo Church: a parish raised from a Catholic mission chapel under Dongchon Parish to a parish on December 12, 1991 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Yonggye Parish: became independent on December 5, 1993 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Baek Mu-jo (Joachim): a faithful whose move into the Dongchon area with his family in 1944 became the occasion for evangelization (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Father Kang Chan-hyeong (Pascal): the first pastor (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism “Dongchon Parish” (Vol. 3). Introduction of the Gospel and catechism classes, separation and establishment in 1957, facilities and pastoral activities, separation of daughter parishes, church statistics, successive pastors up to the 14th.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1486
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia “Dongchon Church”. Introduction of the Gospel and background of establishment, current status and significance.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40020971
3. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Dongchon” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Establishment date 1957.09.26, patron 103 Korean Martyrs, religious congregations, number of Catholic mission chapels, jurisdiction.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000800&gubn2=all&char=all
4. Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Dongchon Church”. Date of establishment September 26, 1957, patron saint 103 Korean Martyrs.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=39&premenu&srl=church_search
5. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism “Bullo-dong Parish” (Vol. 6). Promotion from a Catholic mission chapel under Dongchon Parish to a parish in 1991.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2744