Hwawon Church

Overview

Hwawon Church is a church belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu, located in Cheonnae-ri, Hwawon-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu Metropolitan City. Originating from Joam Catholic mission chapel, the first Catholic mission chapel in the Hwawon area, it separated from Namsan Parish on June 12, 1938 and became a parish. Its patron is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and its first pastor was Father Seo Jeong-gil (John).

History

[Joam Catholic Mission Chapel and Seosan Catholic Mission Chapel] The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture traces the roots of Hwawon Church to Joam Catholic mission chapel, established around 1906. Joam Catholic mission chapel was founded by several families, including the grandfather of Father Park Sang-tae (Ludovicus) and the family of Park Bu-geum (Paul), gathered at Gwansu-gol in Sang-dong, Wolbae-myeon, Dalseong-gun (now Wolseong-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City); the faithful invited Father Kim Bo-rok (Paul, of the Paris Foreign Missions Society) from Daegu Church to administer the sacraments. Around 1913, as the number of faithful at Joam Catholic mission chapel grew, a new Seosan Catholic mission chapel was created and separated; the families who split off, including Park Bun-do, numbered about 20 households.

[Cheonnae Catholic Mission Chapel] According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, Seosan Catholic mission chapel was run mainly by the faithful of Cheonnae-dong in Hwawon, and the Church grew further through the activities of the funeral bier society in 1918. As the number of faithful in Cheonnae-dong increased, a thatched house was built on land donated by Park Gi-geun to establish Cheonnae Catholic mission chapel as a separate chapel, and this Cheonnae Catholic mission chapel became the origin of Hwawon Parish. The chapel chairman at the time was Kim Bartholomew. Cheonnae Catholic mission chapel dissolved the funeral bier society, which had been the core organization for evangelization, and reorganized it into the Friendship Association, whose first president was Park Seong-su (Joseph).

[Securing the Church Site, Night School, and Youth Association] The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that in 1926, the Catholic mission chapel women's association was organized at Cheonnae Catholic mission chapel, with Baek Lucia as its first president. To secure land for building the church, the women's association conducted a campaign to collect rice to raise a land-expansion fund and purchased the land at 488 Cheonnae-dong, where the present church stands. Around 1927, a night school was established at Cheonnae Catholic mission chapel, and under the leadership of Park Gwi-eop and Park Chang-saeng, it provided about ten students with instruction in Korean, Japanese, and the faith; following this, the Catholic mission chapel youth association was organized on November 1928.

[The Catholic Mission Chapel in the 1930s] According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, in 1930, Jeong Cha-gap (Joseph), father of Jeong Nam-su (Stephen), who was the sports director of the Catholic mission chapel youth association, donated about 1,322 square meters of land, on which a thatched house (on the site of the present education hall) was built and used as a chapel. At that time, Cheonnae-dong chapel was a dependent chapel of Daegu Parish, and the pastor of Daegu Parish came once a week to hear Easter confessions. Baek Nam-guk (John) and his wife and Na Pan-ju (Anthony), who lived in Gangnim-dong, Okpo-myeon, Dalseong-gun while attending Cheonnae-dong chapel, expanded the Church through evangelization, and by opening a chapel in Baek Nam-guk's house, Gangnim Catholic mission chapel was separated from Cheonnae-dong chapel. The same entry records that in 1936, the mother parish changed from Gyesandong Cathedral Parish in Daegu to Namsan Parish.

[Elevation to Parish] The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that during the process of establishing the parish, a modern building was newly built with the support of Father Bang Yak-jong of Namsan Parish and elevation to a parish was planned, but it fell through. Later, through the efforts of the faithful and funds raised with chapel chairman Park Seong-man (Stephen) covering half the construction cost, the church building was completed on May 1938 and it was elevated to a parish, and on June 12 Father Seo Jeong-gil (John) was appointed as the first pastor. Father Seo was appointed to Hwawon Church as his first pastoral assignment immediately after his priestly ordination, and later became the diocesan bishop through episcopal ordination and promotion to archbishop. The foundation date June 12, 1938 is also listed in the Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference directory and in the Archdiocese of Daegu parish information.

[Expansion and Dedication of the New Church] According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, shortly after the Korean War, in 1954, Father Seo Jeong-do (Pilate), the 7 pastor, took office and devoted himself to expanding the church, and the United States military unit stationed at Daegu Hwawon Elementary School provided materials needed for the expansion free of charge. In this way the church was enlarged and a bell tower was also erected, and this expanded building was used until a new church was built in 1984 and is now used as the education hall. The present new main building was completed through the full donation of construction costs by businessman Park Geun-su (Simon), a native of Bonri-dong, Hwawon-eup, Dalseong-gun, and on November 25, 1984 the dedication ceremony for the new church and the rectory and convent buildings was held in the presence of Bishop Lee Mun-hui and others.

[Later Changes] The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that the chapels established by Hwawon Church include Okpo Catholic mission chapel and Hyeonpung Catholic mission chapel; Okpo Catholic mission chapel has now become a chapel belonging to Seongsan Church, and Hyeonpung Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Hyeonpung Church. In 1988, marking the 50 anniversary of its founding, events such as the publication of the parish 50 history and the founding of the Catholic credit union were held. It lists Park Sang-tae, Park Du-hwan, Jo Hwan-gil, and Lee Jun-geon as clergy and religious from Hwawon Church, and states that Jo Hwan-gil is the current head of the Archdiocese of Daegu. As of February 2016, the current pastor is Father Kim Seong-tae (Emmanuel).

[Current Status] The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that the total number of registered faithful is 1,292 (men 564, women 728). The Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference directory lists the religious congregation of sisters as the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the number of faithful as 1,073, and the jurisdiction as parts of Myeonggok-ri, Bonri-ri, Seongsan-ri, and Cheonnae-ri in Hwawon-eup, Dalseong-gun. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture evaluates this church as a representative church of the Hwawon area with a long history and regards it as an important source for understanding the history of Catholicism in the Dalseong area.

Architecture and Space

The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that Hwawon Church is a work of architect Kim Mu-gwon, who also designed Dongmyeong Church, Beommul Church, and others. The present main church building was dedicated on November 25, 1984, and the building expanded in 1954 is now used as the education hall.

Related Places and People

• Namsan Church: the mother parish of Hwawon after 1936, and Hwawon Church separated from this parish in 1938 (Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture).
• Hyeonpung Church and Seongsan Church: the Hyeonpung Catholic mission chapel of Hwawon Church was elevated to Hyeonpung Church, and Okpo Catholic mission chapel became a chapel belonging to Seongsan Church (Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture).
• Father Seo Jeong-gil (John): appointed as the first pastor and later became bishop and archbishop to head the diocese (Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture).
• Archbishop Jo Hwan-gil: a cleric from Hwawon Church who was head of the Archdiocese of Daegu at the time of writing of the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture.

References and Sources

1. Academy of Korean Studies, Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, Hwawon Church. Joam, Seosan, and Cheonnae chapels, elevation to parish in 1938 and the first pastor, expansion and dedication of the new church in 1984, architect, separation of chapels, clergy of origin and current status.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40081235
2. Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference, Korean Catholic Directory, Hwawon (Archdiocese of Daegu). Foundation date 1938.06.12, religious congregation, patron Sacred Heart of Jesus, jurisdiction.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000911&gubn2=all&char=all
3. Archdiocese of Daegu, Parish Information, Hwawon Church. Foundation date June 12, 1938, patron Sacred Heart of Jesus.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=83&premenu&srl=church_search