Hyeonpung Catholic Church

Overview

Hyeonpung Church is a Catholic church in Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu Metropolitan City, belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu. It started as the Hyeonpung Catholic mission chapel, founded around 1935, which was elevated in 1969 from a mission chapel under Hwawon Parish to a parish, and its patron saint is Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon. According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, the present church building, completed in 1988, was built in an octagonal shape modeled after the gat, the traditional Korean hat, of its patron Father Kim Dae-geon.

History

〔Hyeonpung Catholic Mission Chapel〕 According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, the Hyeonpung Catholic mission chapel was founded around 1935, centered on Peter Yun Il-gwon and others living in Hyeonpung-myeon. The mission chapel passed through Gyesan-dong Parish and Namsan-dong Parish and had been under the jurisdiction of Hwawon Parish since 1938, and its location was lot 270, Jung-ri, present-day Hyeonpung-myeon. After the mission chapel was founded, Paul Hwang Un-ho, Dominic Kim and others received baptism, and as the nearby Gobong mission chapel was merged, its faithful also took part in the mission chapel services. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records the origin of the Hyeonpung mission chapel as founded in 1935, adding that in 1936, before belonging to Hwawon Parish, it belonged to Namsan Parish.

〔The 6·25 War and the Rebuilding of the Mission Chapel〕 The Encyclopedia records that fighting broke out in the Hyeonpung area during the Korean War and the mission chapel hall burned down, while the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that the mission chapel was destroyed in the Battle of the Nakdong River. According to the Encyclopedia, the faithful of the mission chapel built a new thatched hut with financial support from Father Bernard Seo Jeong-do of Hwawon Parish and used it as a temporary mission chapel, and, while saving part of relief grain to raise rebuilding costs, built a new wooden building of about 20 pyeong in 1960 with the help of Father John Park Jae-su of Hwawon Parish. In this mission chapel, mission chapel services were held every Sunday, and the Hwawon parish priest visited twice in 1 to celebrate the sacraments and Mass.

〔Parish Establishment〕 The Encyclopedia records that in the late 1960s the Archdiocese of Daegu decided to establish a parish in the Hyeonpung area, and that when Father Park Jae-su was pastor of Hwawon Parish, it was decided to build the church on 800 pyeong of rice paddy in front of the Dalseong Post Office that had been purchased in advance. The date of establishment differs by source. The Encyclopedia records that Hyeonpung Parish was established on January 29, 1969 and that Father John Kim Yeong-ok took office as the first pastor on February 9, while the establishment date in the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference directory and in the parish information of the Archdiocese of Daegu is February 9, 1969. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that it was elevated on February 9, 1969 from a mission chapel under Hwawon Parish to a parish. According to the Encyclopedia, immediately after taking office Father Kim Yeong-ok took over Gaejin, present-day Inan, mission chapel, which had been under Goryeong Parish, and began new construction on a total site of 3,005 pyeong, consisting of the prepared 800 pyeong of paddy field and additionally acquired land.

〔Early Facilities and Devotional Groups〕 According to the Encyclopedia, the church building, now the 1-story education hall, was completed on June 1969, followed by a convent of about 25 pyeong and a wooden tile-roofed rectory of about 20 pyeong, and on May 1970 a Marian garden was created and a statue of the Virgin Mary was installed. Because it was a rural parish with financial difficulties, the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Pohang, who had entered at the time of its founding, withdrew from the parish on July 1971, but were sent again on September 1972, during the time of the 2th pastor Father Andrew Kim Gi-jo, to take charge of evangelization. In 1972 the praesidium “Mother Most Loving” was founded, and in 1973 the mixed youth Legion of Mary praesidium “Star of the Sea” was founded. On April 1973 Gaejin mission chapel was newly built and blessed, and a nursery was operated to lighten the burdens of the faithful during the busy farming season.

〔The 1970–80s〕 According to the Encyclopedia, during the time of the 3th pastor Father Peter Im Cheong, on April 1977 the approach road to the church was paved and 127 pyeong of land near the approach was purchased, and during the time of the 4th pastor Father Moses Heo Yeon-gu, on April 1978 the voluntary association of the Hyeonpung Catholic Church Credit Union was founded. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that with diocesan assistance a credit union was founded in 1977 and received authorization from the Ministry of Finance in 1986. On April 1979, after 6 months of construction, the rectory and 2 catechetical classrooms were expanded. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that the old church was completed in 1979. During the time of the 5th pastor Father Augustine Park Hyeong-jin, on December 1980 11 small groups were organized and group meetings were regularized, and during the time of the 6th pastor Father Augustine Jeong Chun-seok, on September 1982 a Bible study group was founded with over 10 young people. During the time of the 7th pastor Father Paul Won Dong-su, on January 1983 11 praesidia were founded, and on May the aging church interior was repaired and a Lay Apostolate Council was formed. As the Dalseong Industrial Complex was developed and apartments were built in the Hyeonpung area, the number of faithful steadily increased, and during the time of the 8th pastor Father Joseph Chae Yeong-hui, on July 1985 an industrial-complex group was organized for faithful working in the industrial complex.

〔Construction of the New Church Building〕 According to the Encyclopedia, during the time of the 9th pastor Father Kim Yeong-ok, the groundbreaking ceremony for a new church building was held on June 1987, a new rectory was built on July with support from the diocesan office, and the old rectory was repaired on August to relocate the convent. On December 1988 a church building with a building area of 135 pyeong was completed and a dedication ceremony was celebrated with Archbishop Paul Lee Mun-hui presiding. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that the site for the new church was purchased in 1987 and construction began, that it was completed on November 1988, and that a dedication ceremony for the new church building was held that year on December with Archbishop Lee Mun-hui presiding.

〔Since the 1990s〕 The Encyclopedia records that during the time of the 10th pastor Father Jerome Lee Jeong-hyo, on April 1991 the old convent building where an elderly person with no family support had lived was remodeled into the House of Fellowship for retreats and fellowship, and during the time of the 11th pastor Father John Lee Seong-gu, on February 1992 trainees of the rehabilitation center who had nowhere to stay while a new International Rehabilitation Center building was being built were allowed to stay in the House of Fellowship. During the time of the 12th pastor Father John the Baptist Son Mu-jin, at the end of 1992 a cry room was provided in the church entrance, and in 1993, from 4 to May, landscaping work was carried out. During the time of the 13th pastor Father Peter Shin Yeong-gyu, on January 1994 the ‘Parish 25-Year History Compilation Committee’ was launched as a project commemorating the 25th anniversary of the parish, on October 2 the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Marian garden was replaced and unveiled, and on October 3, with former pastors and sisters in attendance, a Mass commemorating the 25th anniversary of its founding and an unveiling ceremony for the statue of the patron saint Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon were held. On December 1995 the 《25-Year History of Hyeonpung Parish》 was published. During the time of the 14th pastor Father Peter Han Myeong-seok, on June 1997 the relics of the patron saint Father Kim Dae-geon were enshrined, after which blood donation and organ donation campaigns were carried out, and during the time of the 15th pastor Father Paul Yeo Un-dong, in 2001, from 2 to March, the offices and the religious goods shop were repaired, and during the time of the 16th pastor Father Thomas Aquinas Kim Yun-ho, in 2004 the church and the 2-story hall, Daegeon House and others were repaired. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that in 2009 a concert commemorating the 40th anniversary of the parish founding and patronal feast events were held.

〔Reorganization of Mission Chapels and Jurisdiction〕 According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, as the parish was established in Hyeonpung, Gobong mission chapel, Hyeonpung mission chapel, Nongong mission chapel, Yuga Geumdong mission chapel and others were closed. The Encyclopedia records that the parish mission chapel is 1 place in Inan, and the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference directory also records the number of mission chapels as 1. The jurisdictional area in the directory is all of Guji-myeon, Yuga-eup and Hyeonpung-eup in Dalseong-gun and parts of Nongong-eup in Dalseong-gun and Gaejin-myeon in Goryeong-gun.

〔Church Statistics and Successive Pastors〕 The church statistics recorded in the Encyclopedia are 500 people in 1971, 591 people in 1974, 823 people in 1980, 1,092 people in 1985, 1,625 people in 1990, 1,948 people in 1995, 2,270 people in 2000, and 1,500 people in 2005. The successive priests are the first John Kim Yeong-ok (1969.1–1971.11), the 2th Andrew Kim Gi-jo (1971.11–1974.5), the 3th Peter Im Cheong (1974.5–1977.7), the 4th Moses Heo Yeon-gu (1977.7–1980.5), the 5th Augustine Park Hyeong-jin (1980.5–1982.1), the 6th Augustine Jeong Chun-seok (1982.1–10), the 7th Paul Won Dong-su (1982.10–1984.7), the 8th Joseph Chae Yeong-hui (1984.7–1987.1), the 9th Kim Yeong-ok (1987.1–1991.3), the 10th Jerome Lee Jeong-hyo (1991.3–6), the 11th John Lee Seong-gu (1991.6–1992.3), the 12th John the Baptist Son Mu-jin (1992.3–1993.9), the 13th Peter Shin Yeong-gyu (1993.9–1996.2), the 14th Peter Han Myeong-seok (1996.2–1999.11), the 15th Paul Yeo Un-dong (1999.11–2002.8), and the 16th Thomas Aquinas Kim Yun-ho (2002.8 to the time of writing). The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that at the time of writing Father Andrew Daegeon Kim Sang-jo was serving as the 20th pastor, and that the first parish council president was John Choe U-rim and the president at the time was Paul Hasang Park Jae-mun as the 16th president. It lists student altar servers, the Marian Association, and the Cursillo movement as major groups.

Architecture and Grounds

According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, the site area is 1 ten thousand 1220 square meters, and there are lawns and parking lots in front of and behind the church, as well as a tennis court, a basketball court doubling as a jokgu court, and others. In the center of the front of the church building there is a statue of the patron saint Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon, and behind it there are a rectory and a Marian garden.

The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture records that the exterior of Hyeonpung Church was built in an octagonal structure modeled after the gat of its patron saint Father Kim Dae-geon, which can be regarded as Hyeonpung Church’s own distinctive character.

According to the Encyclopedia, the present church building was completed and dedicated on December 1988 with a building area of 135 pyeong, and the church building first built in 1969 is now used as the 1-story education hall. The ‘House of Fellowship (Daegeon House),’ a space for fellowship and retreats for the faithful, is a remodeled former convent building.

Related Places and People

• Hwawon Parish: the parish to which the Hyeonpung mission chapel belonged from 1938 and which had jurisdiction until the elevation to a parish in 1969 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture).
• Goryeong Parish and Gaejin, present-day Inan, mission chapel: in 1969 Father Kim Yeong-ok took over Gaejin mission chapel, which had been under Goryeong Parish, and on April 1973 Gaejin mission chapel was newly built (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Andrew Kim Dae-geon: the patron saint of the parish. The Encyclopedia records that a statue of the saint was unveiled on October 1994 and that the relics of Father Kim Dae-geon were enshrined on June 1997.
• Hyeonpung Church Credit Union: in 1978 a voluntary association was founded as part of farmers’ welfare (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism “Hyeonpung Parish” (Vol. 12). Founding of the Hyeonpung mission chapel and jurisdiction under Hwawon Parish, parish establishment in 1969, new church construction (1969·1988), successive pastors and yearly activities, church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/6921
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture “Hyeonpung Church”. Mission chapel founding in 1935, elevation to parish in 1969, dedication of the new church building in 1988, anniversary events in 2009 for the 40th anniversary, octagonal exterior, closure of mission chapels, site area and groups.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40081241
3. Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Korean Catholic Directory “Hyeonpung” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Establishment date 1969.02.09, patron Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon, sisters’ congregation, number of mission chapels and jurisdictional area.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000908&gubn2=all&char=all
4. Archdiocese of Daegu, Parish Information “Hyeonpung Church”. Date of establishment February 9, 1969, patron Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=82&premenu&srl=church_search