Namsan Catholic Church

Overview

Namsan Church is a church in Namsan-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu. On May 30, 1926 it was separated from Daegu Parish (now the Cathedral Parish in Gyesan-dong) and started as St. Joseph Parish (quasi-parish), and in 1928 it became an independent parish, the second parish established in Daegu. Its patron saint is St. Joseph, and as it is close to the Marian shrine of the Archdiocese of Daegu, it is also called the ‘Jerusalem of Daegu’.

History

〔Establishment〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Namsan-dong Parish was separated and established from Daegu Parish on May 30, 1926, and was the second parish established in Daegu. The encyclopedia explains that in the 1920s this was the first time two parishes were established in one city, except for Jonghyeon Parish (now Myeongdong) and Yakhyeon Parish (now Jungnim-dong) in Seoul. At that time Daegu Parish covered a wide area and had many faithful, so the Daemyeong-dong and Namsan-dong areas under Daegu Parish were divided to designate Namsan-dong Parish (originally named St. Joseph Parish). Father Seok Jong-gwan (Paul), a graduate of St. Justin Seminary, took office as the first pastor, but at that time it was still an affiliated parish of Daegu Parish. An article reported by the Archdiocese of Daegu on May 31, 2026 states that with the appointment of the first pastor Father Seok Jong-gwan (Paul) on May 30, 1926 it started as St. Joseph Church (quasi-parish) with about 600 faithful, and the encyclopedia records the number of faithful as 600 in 1927.

〔Independent Parish and Daemyeong-dong Period〕 According to the encyclopedia, this parish became an independent parish in 1928, two years after its foundation, under the 2 pastor Father Delande Louis (Nam Dae-yeong). Father Delande secured a site at the former Hyosong Girls’ Middle School in Daemyeong-dong to build a new church, and when the new church was completed in 1937 under the 3 pastor Father Paie Augustin, its name was changed to ‘Daemyeong-dong Parish’. An archdiocesan article also states that as of 1937 a new church was built and moved to Daemyeong-dong, in the area of present-day Songnim Mansion, changing its name to ‘Daemyeong-dong Catholic Church’, and that it then supervised the Hwawon, Wolbae and Hyeonpung Catholic mission chapels. As the 2 World War intensified, the Japanese authorities forcibly requisitioned this church and used it as an internment camp for Western priests (encyclopedia), and the archdiocesan article states that in 1945 it suffered the pain of being used as an internment camp for French clergy under the Japanese ban on preaching, but recovered its original function after liberation. According to the encyclopedia, at that time the parish moved to its original Namsan-dong site and then moved again to the Daemyeong-dong church after liberation.

〔Settlement at the Present Location〕 The encyclopedia states that in 1952 the diocese decided that the church site of about 5,500 pyeong was more suitable for a school, so Hyosong Women’s College opened on that site, and the parish newly built a church and rectory in present-day Namsan-dong, changing its name to ‘Namsan-dong Parish’, which continues to today. The archdiocesan article states that in 1952 the existing church site was given to the school for the establishment of Hyosong Women’s College and a new church was promoted, and that with the blessing of the present church in 1953 its name was changed to ‘Namsan Church’, thus describing the dates of new construction and renaming differently as 1952 and 1953. According to the encyclopedia, in 1956 a branch of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres was established, and the parish gradually consolidated its interior in a stable atmosphere, and this branch, which handled evangelization and kindergarten education for about 20 years, had been founded under the Archdiocese of Daegu on August 1976 and withdrew, handing over its mission to the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Pohang.

〔Parishes Branched Off〕 According to the encyclopedia, Namsan-dong Parish divided off Sohwa Parish in 1972, Daemyeong Parish in 1973, and St. Thomas Parish in 1985. The archdiocesan article states that Hwawon, Daemyeong, Sohwa, Daedeok, St. Thomas Church and others later separated from Namsan Church.

〔Parish Activities and Number of Faithful〕 According to the encyclopedia, already in the 1920–1930s it achieved many results in catechetical education such as publishing and distributing catechism and hymn books, youth religious-cultural activities such as drama festivals and hymn presentations, and lay apostolic activities such as the Association for the Deceased, the Marian Association, the youth fellowship, the Dere Society, poor relief, rehabilitation homes and children’s classes. Although it was not a cathedral church, being right beside the diocesan curia, in its early days it also enjoyed the benefit of celebrating the bishop’s solemn Mass every other week together with Daegu Parish. In 1968 the parish district was reorganized into bans, in 1976 27 Legion of Mary praesidia were founded in each ban instead of the ban meetings held since 1972, and on January 1988 the districts and bans were reorganized again. The numbers recorded by the encyclopedia are 600 in 1927, about 2,000 in 1952, 5,057 in 1967, 3,894 in 1990, and 4,154 in 1993. It held events such as special lectures and retreats in Lent and Advent, help for needy neighbors, feasts for the elderly, formation of a youth federation, scholarships, contests in prayers for the dead, production of a parish song, opening of a meditation school for young people, family hymn contests, and Bible family-motto exhibitions, and from May 1990 it held an annual Parish Day as a venue for harmony and fellowship between long-time faithful and new apartment residents.

〔Vocations and 70-Year History〕 The encyclopedia states that as of August 1994 a total of 29 priests had been produced, and that on April 2, 1992 the organ that had been used and kept at Namsan-dong Parish after St. Justin Seminary closed in 1944 was sent to the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Daegu. On March 19, 1992, the feast of St. Joseph, patron of the parish, a committee for preparing the 70-year history of the parish was formed to collect and organize materials. The archdiocesan article states that Namsan Church is a mother parish that produced 39 priests including Cardinal Stefano Kim Su-hwan, and the Maeil Shinmun reports that 39 priests and about 40 religious came from Namsan Church, that the first priest from Namsan Church was Bishop Joseph Jang Byeong-hwa, who served as the 2 bishop of Masan Diocese, and that Cardinal Kim Su-hwan was also from Namsan Church.

〔100th Anniversary of Foundation〕 According to the archdiocesan article, on May 30, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., a Mass commemorating the 100rd anniversary of the foundation was celebrated by Archbishop Thaddeus Cho Hwan-gil, and during the Mass there were a presentation of the 100-year history of Namsan Church, an offering of 360 rosaries, a special choir performance and awards. The Maeil Shinmun reports that 46 priests concelebrated this Mass and about 600 faithful attended. According to the same report, the ‘100-Year History of Namsan Parish’ disclosed, with the cooperation of the Archdiocese of Daegu archives, the original text and translation of the 1926 ‘Daegu Vicariate Council Decision’ which was the origin of Namsan Church’s foundation, Cardinal Kim Su-hwan’s confirmation certificate and others, and recorded lists of group members including 293 Cursillo graduates and 63 couples who completed ME Weekends from 1969 to the present, and 293 members of the Association for the Deceased. A compilation committee of 12 members worked for 6 months in 2 based on the ‘70-Year History of Namsan Parish’, and the completed volume was scheduled for formal publication on July 30. For its 100th anniversary, Namsan Church also carried out sanctuary renovation, pilgrimages, concerts, marriage renewal ceremonies and confirmations (Maeil Shinmun).

〔Pastors〕 Pastors listed by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Seok Jong-gwan Paul (1926.5~1928.5), the 2 Delande Louis (Nam Dae-yeong) (1928.5~1933), the 3 Paie Augustin (1933.10~1940.5), the 4 Cordes Mario (1940.5~1941.9), the 5 Paie Augustin (1941.9~1945.4), the 6 Joseph Jang Byeong-hwa (1945~1948), the 7 Mattia Lee Jong-pil (1948.8~1953.4), the 8 Pascal Kang Chan-hyeong (1953.4~1955.1), the 9 Ignatius Lee Seong-man (1955.1~1960.3), the 10 Bellado Seo Jeong-do (1960.3~1962.7), the 11 John Park Jae-su (1962.7~1966.12), the 12 Pascal Kang Chan-hyeong (1966.12~1967.12), the 13 Cirillo Shin Hyeon-ok (1967.12~1972.10), the 14 Thomas Park Won-chul (1972.10~1976.5), the 15 Timotheus Kim Gyu-tae (1976.5~1977.7), the 16 John Choi Byeong-seon (1977.7~1981.12), the 17 Peter Jang Byeong-bo (1981.12~1983.1), the 18 Ludovico Park Sang-tae (1983.1~1987.6), the 19 Alessandro Seo Jeong-deok (1987.6~1991.4), the 20 Alberto Lee Jeong-u (1991.4~1994.9), the 21 Peter Park Gwang-ho (1994.9~time of writing). The list of former pastors on the Namsan Church website continues with the 22 Joseph Park Chang-ho (1999.12.2~2001.9.6), the 23 Andrea Lee Seong-do (2001.9.6~2005.1.27), the 24 Paul Cheon Gwang-seong (2005.1.27~2010.2.4), the 25 Geronimo Kang Taek-gyu (2010.2.4~2013.8.29), the 26 Pius Park Su-tae (2013.8.29~2019.1.24), the 27 Gregorio Lee Sang-yeong (2019.1.24~2023.1.5), the 28 Stefano Park Deok-su (2023.1.6~2026.8.20). The website list records the tenure of the 6 Joseph Jang Byeong-hwa as 1941.9.4~1945.4.12, the same as the 5, and the end of the 16 John Choi Byeong-seon’s term as 1982.1.30, differing in some years from the encyclopedia. Parish news on the website reports that Father Marco Heo Nam-ho took office as the 29 pastor at the parish Mass on August 23, 2026.

〔Diocesan Information〕 The address book of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists Namsan Parish as belonging to the 1 vicariate, 1 district of the Archdiocese of Daegu, with foundation date May 30, 1926, patron St. Joseph, convent of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 0 Catholic mission chapels, and jurisdiction over all of Namsan 3-dong and parts of Namsan 1-, 2- and 4-dong and Daemyeong 2- and 3-dong. The foundation date in the Archdiocese of Daegu parish information is also May 30, 1926. The encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction as all of Namsan 3-dong and parts of Namsan 1-, 2- and 4-dong.

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, the first church was a remodeled Myeongdo Hall inside the bishop’s residence (on the site of the new building of Daegun High School), and on August 8, 1926 (lunar July 1) the dedication of the church was celebrated by Bishop Demange. Later a new church was completed in Daemyeong-dong in 1937, and in 1952 a church and rectory were newly built in present-day Namsan-dong. Afterwards there were construction of a parish hall (1974), expansion of the rectory (1979), repair of the sacristy (1982), major church repairs (1983), repair of the pastoral hall (1988), major garden works (April 1992) and others (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

The encyclopedia states that there were several nicknames among the faithful. Because the remodeled Myeongdo Hall was used as the church, it was called ‘St. Joseph Parish’ or ‘St. Yaksil Parish’ (Yaksil being the Chinese-character rendering of Joseph) after St. Joseph, patron of Myeongdo Hall, and because it was the first pass when going from Daegu toward Hwawon or Goryeong, it was also called ‘Front Pass Parish’, ‘Upper Pass Parish’ because it was above Daegu Parish, and ‘Hwawon Parish’ because fellow believer Seo Sang-don’s large farm nearby always had many flowers.

Related Places and People

• Daegu Parish (now the Cathedral Parish in Gyesan-dong): the mother parish from which Namsan-dong Parish was separated in 1926 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sohwa, Daemyeong and St. Thomas Parishes: the encyclopedia states that Namsan-dong Parish divided off Sohwa Parish in 1972, Daemyeong Parish in 1973 and St. Thomas Parish in 1985. The archdiocesan article states that Hwawon and Daedeok churches also separated from Namsan Church.
• Marian shrine of the Archdiocese of Daegu: the Maeil Shinmun states that Namsan Church is adjacent to it.
• Cardinal Stefano Kim Su-hwan: introduced by the archdiocesan article and the Maeil Shinmun as coming from Namsan Church.
• Bishop Joseph Jang Byeong-hwa: introduced by the Maeil Shinmun as the first priest from Namsan Church and the 2 bishop of Masan Diocese, and also listed in the encyclopedia as the 6 pastor.

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Namsan-dong Parish” (Vol. 2). Separation and foundation from Daegu Parish in 1926, independence in 1928, Daemyeong-dong church in 1937, new construction at the present location in 1952, nicknames, branched parishes, number of faithful and successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1037
2. Archdiocese of Daegu, Diocesan Head’s Activities “Offering of Mass for the 100th Anniversary of Namsan Church Foundation” (2026-05-31). Departure as St. Joseph Church (quasi-parish) in 1926, independence in 1928, move in 1937, blessing of the present church in 1953, branched parishes, Mass for the 100th anniversary.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/arch.html?srl=archmove&sub_category=arch&sections=move&idx=255586&process=read&searchPart=&searchStr=&gotopage=1
3. Maeil Shinmun, “Daegu Namsan Church, Mass for the 100th Anniversary and Dedication of History Book” (2026-06-01). Mass of thanksgiving for the 100th anniversary, vocations, compilation of the ‘100-Year History of Namsan Parish’.
   https://www.imaeil.com/page/view/2026060110351088686
4. Namsan Church website of the Archdiocese of Daegu, “Former Pastors”. Pastors and terms from the 1nd to the 28rd.
   https://namsan1926.kr/Data/index.html?sub=4
5. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Address Book “Namsan” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Foundation date May 30, 1926, patron St. Joseph, convent, jurisdiction.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000777&gubn2=all&char=all
6. Archdiocese of Daegu, Parish Information “Namsan Church”. Foundation date May 30, 1926.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=12&premenu&srl=church_search&y_id=004