남산 성당

History & origins

Namsan Parish began on May 30, 1926, when it was separated from Gyesan Parish under the name “Namsan St. Joseph Parish.” According to the archdiocese’s centennial record, Father Seok Jong-gwan Paul was appointed as its first pastor when the community numbered about 600 faithful. Because there was no separate church building, the Myeongdo Hall within the diocesan compound was remodeled and used as the church. In 1928 the community became an independent parish.

The parish later secured a new site in Daemyeong-dong, and in 1937 a new church was dedicated and the name was changed to “Daemyeong-dong Catholic Church.” In 1945, under Japanese restrictions on Catholic missionary activity, the church suffered the unusual hardship of being used as a detention facility for French clergy. After liberation, it recovered its original ecclesial function.

In 1952 the existing church site was provided for the establishment of Hyosung Women’s University, prompting another church-building project. The present church was blessed in 1953, when the name was changed to “Namsan Catholic Church.” In later years, several parishes—including Hwawon, Daemyeong, Sohwa, Daedeok, and St. Thomas—were separated from it. In 2026 the parish celebrated a centennial Mass. This history shows Namsan Parish’s importance as one of the mother parishes in the expansion of the Catholic Church in central Daegu.