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About this place
Gyesan Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Daegu, and official diocesan sources refer to it as “Gyesan Cathedral.” It is also Historic Site No. 290 of the Republic of Korea. Located in central Daegu, it serves as a principal church for major diocesan liturgies while also standing as a representative heritage site that reflects the development of Catholicism in Daegu and the wider Gyeongsangbuk-do region.
The spiritual tradition of Gyesan is closely connected with Our Lady of Lourdes. From the earliest church, Our Lady of Lourdes was honored as patron, and after the Apostolic Vicariate of Daegu was established, Gyesan became the cathedral of the new ecclesiastical jurisdiction and continued to share in the history of the diocese. The surviving Gothic church and the liturgical life that continues within it show that this is not merely a modern architectural monument, but a place in which the faith and memory of the Archdiocese of Daegu have accumulated over generations.
History & origins
The history of Gyesan Cathedral on its present site began in earnest in March 1897, when construction started on a cross-shaped church in traditional Korean wooden architecture. That church was consecrated on December 25, 1898, but was destroyed by fire in February 1901. Father Robert Kim Bo-rok and the Catholic community quickly began rebuilding, completing a brick church in December 1902. On November 1, 1903, Bishop Gustave Mutel consecrated the new church, establishing the Gothic structure that became the present Gyesan Cathedral.
Official diocesan sources record that lay Catholics including Seo Sang-don, Jeong Gyu-ok, and Gim Jong-hak supported the rebuilding effort. The church erected after the fire became an early Western-style Gothic church in Daegu, and its twin towers formed a distinctive sign of modern architecture in the city. The fact that the project was carried forward not by a missionary alone but through the participation of local Catholics is also an important feature of its Church history.
In 1911, Pope Pius X established the Apostolic Vicariate of Daegu and Bishop Florian Demange, known in Korea as An Se-hwa, arrived as its first Ordinary, making Gyesan the cathedral of the new jurisdiction. In 1918 and 1919, the sanctuary and the two wings were enlarged as the diocese grew. The sequence from the first Korean-style church, through fire and rebuilding in brick Gothic form, to the creation of the Daegu vicariate and later enlargement made Gyesan Cathedral one of the central historical sites of the early Archdiocese of Daegu.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Daegu Gyesan Cathedral: history and architecture
Read about the place's history, architecture, people, and events in the Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia articles are currently available in Korean.
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Building information
- Passenger elevators: 1
- 5 above-ground floors · 2 below-ground floors
- Total floor area: 13,820㎡
Building-register record · · Source
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Sources and updates
- Information Status
- Official
- Source
- Diocese source
- Data freshness
- Fresh
- Last updated
- Source
- CBCK parish directory, Francisco Diary
Diocese
Official website: http://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr
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