Keun Gogae Catholic Church

Overview

Keungogae Church is a church of the Archdiocese of Daegu located in Sinam-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City. It was established in 1981 after separation from Sinam-dong Parish, and it was built with funds raised by 12 faithful who shared the aim of building the church and formed the 12 Apostles Association, and at the start of construction it was also called the ‘12 Apostles Church’. Its patron is Saint John the Apostle.

History

[Establishment] The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records that Keungogae Parish was separated and established from Sinam-dong Parish on November 30, 1981, while in the main text it also states that it was established on December 5, 1981. The address directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, the parish information of the Archdiocese of Daegu, and the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia list the date of establishment as December 5, 1981. As the result of 12 men and women faithful who shared the aim of building the church forming the 12 Apostles Association and collecting funds for 1 years, this church with a site of 398 pyeong and a total floor area of 251 pyeong was built, and at the start of construction it was also called the ‘12 Apostles Church’. The first pastor, Father Lee Seong-bae, took office on November 1981 and began full pastoral work after the dedication ceremony on December 27.

[In the 1980s] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, the lay council, the Association for the Deceased and the altar society were launched on February 1982, the Marian Association was launched on May and promoted the erection of an outdoor statue of the Virgin Mary, and on June auxiliary buildings such as the office and restrooms were completed. The pastoral council was launched on December 1983, and in 1984 a campaign to attach house nameplates to the homes of parishioners was held. The 2 pastor, Father Choe Bong-do, in the year he took office purchased the convent building (Sinam 4-dong 286-9) on August 1985 and held the blessing ceremony on September. On January 1987 Father Jang Hyo-won from the parish was ordained a priest, on March a campaign to offer 330 ten thousand decades of the rosary was conducted, and on August a new statue of the Virgin Mary was dedicated, while the university student group took part in flood-damage restoration work.

[Tenures of pastors 3 to 5] The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records that Father Kim Hyeon-su, pastor 3, held the Keungogae cultural festival on October 1, 1988 shortly after taking office and carried out church repair work on March the following year. Ahead of the World Eucharistic Congress held in Seoul in 1989, a campaign to wear commemorative badges for the World Eucharistic Congress was conducted for all the faithful starting on May 7, and 138 parishioners participated in the events from October 5 to the 8th. During the time of Father Won Dong-su, pastor 4, a youth federation cultural festival was held for three days starting on October 1, 1989. Father Choe Chang-deok, pastor 5, created a fellowship room and a religious-goods shop on the 2 floor of the office and blessed them, held a baptism ceremony, a Bible quiz contest and an arts festival at Christmas in 1990, and in 1991 made pilgrimages to shrines such as Solmoe and Haemi. A room for the assistant priest was prepared on February 1992, the interior of the convent was repaired, construction of the education center began on May and the completion ceremony was held on October, and landscaping of the Marian garden and flower-bed work were also done in the same year.

[Tenures of pastors 6 to 9] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, Father Lee Yong-gil, pastor 6, made home visits by each small group at the end of February 1993, held the patron (John) tennis tournament on March, repaired the catechism classroom, the rectory and the dining hall on August, and repaired and rebuilt the sacristy and the convent on October. A bazaar and a feast for the elderly were held on May 1994, and a faith school in the form of a family camp was held on July. Father Kim Gyu-tae, pastor 7, held a fellowship event for male brothers on April 1996 and opened a Korean-alphabet school for those who did not know Korean script on June. Shortly after Father Lee Seong-do, pastor 8, took office, group leaders, secretaries and women’s groups made a pilgrimage on October 1997 to shrines in the Seoul area such as Jeoldusan, Saenamteo and Myeongdong Church, and on March 1998 visited Sorokdo. In the same year, on April, a sharing-love campaign was promoted to meet the IMF crisis and a network linking job offers and job seekers was prepared. It is recorded that Father Lee Jae-su, pastor 9, promoted a family-based Bible transcription campaign, continued pilgrimages to shrines such as Mirinae and Baeron, and opened and operated the parish homepage.

[Jurisdiction and statistics] The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism lists the jurisdiction as Sinam 4- and 5-dong and part of Hyomok 1-dong, and the statistics as 924 members in 1981, 2,454 members in 1987, 3,398 members in 1992, 3,199 members in 1997, and 2,335 members in 2003. The address directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists the jurisdictional area as all of Sinam 5-dong and parts of Sinam 4-dong and Hyomok 1-dong, the sisters’ congregation as the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, and the number of faithful as 2,303. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that Keungogae Church belongs to vicariate 2 among 5 vicariates of the Archdiocese of Daegu, has about 1,982 registered members, and that the mission committee, liturgy committee, social welfare committee, education and public relations committee, youth committee, elderly evangelization committee, juvenile committee, facilities and environment committee, district councils, study rooms, Sunday school, choir and others are active.

[Successive pastors] The successive priests in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism are the first Lee Seong-bae (John, 1981.11 to 1985.1), 2 Choe Bong-do (Francis Xavier, 1985.1 to 1988.6), 3 Kim Hyeon-su (Paul, 1988.7 to 1989.6), 4 Won Dong-su (Paul, 1989.6 to 1990.6), 5 Choe Chang-deok (Francis Xavier, 1990.6 to 1993.1), 6 Lee Yong-gil (John, 1993.1 to 1994.8), 7 Kim Gyu-tae (Timothy, 1994.8 to 1997.9), 8 Lee Seong-do (Andrew, 1997.9 to 2001.8), and 9 Lee Jae-su (Simon, 2001.8 to ).

Architecture and Space

The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records Keungogae Church as having a site of 398 pyeong and a total floor area of 251 pyeong in scale. On June 1982 auxiliary buildings such as the office and restrooms were completed, on August 1985 the convent building (Sinam 4-dong 286-9) was purchased, and construction of the education center began on May 1992 and the completion ceremony was held on October. In the same year landscaping of the Marian garden and flower-bed work were also done.

Related Places and People

• Sinam-dong Church: the mother parish from which Keungogae Parish was separated in 1981 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Father Lee Seong-bae: the first pastor. Father Jang Hyo-won is a priest from the parish ordained on January 1987 (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism).
• Solmoe, Haemi, Mirinae and Baeron shrines, Jeoldusan, Saenamteo and Myeongdong Church: recorded in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism as places to which parishioners made pilgrimages.

References and Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism “Keungogae Parish”. Establishment in 1981, 12 Apostles Association, successive priests, yearly activities, statistics, jurisdiction.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/6252
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia “Keungogae Church”. Establishment December 5, 1981, vicariate 2, patron, active groups, registered members.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40020979
3. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Keungogae” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Establishment date 1981.12.05, sisters’ congregation, patron Apostle Saint John, jurisdictional area.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000902&gubn2=all&char=all
4. Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Keungogae Church”. Establishment date December 5, 1981, patron Apostle Saint John.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=79&premenu&srl=church_search