Pyeongni Catholic Church

Overview

Pyeongni Church is a church in Pyeongni-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City, belonging to the Archdiocese of Daegu. On November 16, 1979 it was separated and established from Naedang-dong Parish, and its patron is St. Andrew the Apostle. The foundation began when believer Lee Sang-han (Andrew) donated land he had prepared by saving tithes, and its first parish priest was Father Lee Chang-bae (Andrew).

History

[Donation of the site] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Pyeongni-dong Parish was established through the donation of a believer. Lee Sang-han (Andrew), who was baptized and entered the Church at Bisan-dong Parish on April 1962, resolved to build a church and from August 1967 began saving 1 of every 10 of his income, and on May 1972 purchased 716 pyeong of land at the present parish site in the middle of Bisan-dong, Naedang-dong and Sangni-dong Parishes. Afterwards, through land readjustment he received 500 pyeong as replotted land, deciding to build a church on 354 pyeong and sell the remaining 146 pyeong to cover construction costs. On October 1978 Lee Sang-han donated his land upon hearing that the Archdiocese of Daegu was looking for a church site in the Pyeongni-dong area. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia also states that it began when Lee Sang-han, who was baptized and entered the Church at Bisan Church in 1962, saved tithes, purchased about 2,366.94 ㎡ [716 pyeong] of land at Pyeongni-4-dong 1423-5 in 1972, and donated land received as replotted land of about 1,652.89 ㎡ [500 pyeong] through land readjustment.

[Construction of the church and establishment of the parish] According to the encyclopedia, a groundbreaking ceremony officiated by Archbishop Seo Jeong-gil (John) was held on February 1979, and on October a modern building with a total floor area of 242 pyeong, including the church, rectory and catechesis room, was completed. On November 16 Pyeongni-dong Parish was established as first parish priest Father Lee Chang-bae and 308 faithful separated from Naedang-dong Parish celebrated the first Mass together. The foundation date November 16, 1979 is also listed in the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea address book, and the Archdiocese of Daegu parish information. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia states that it branched off from Naedang Church and was established, and completed a building with a total floor area of about 800 ㎡ [242 pyeong].

[Early activities] According to the encyclopedia, in the same year it published parish bulletin No. 1 on November 18 and organized a pastoral council on November 25. It opened a back-alley kindergarten on July 1980, held a church dedication ceremony officiated by Bishop Lee Mun-hui (Paul) on November (the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records it as a church consecration ceremony on November 1980), and erected a statue of the Virgin Mary at the church entrance on May 1981. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia states that it received authorization for Pyeongni Kindergarten on July 24, 1982. After its foundation the number of faithful grew rapidly, reaching more than 3,000 in 1983, 10 times the number at foundation, causing inconvenience in celebrating Mass. Under the 2th parish priest Father Jang Tae-sik, church expansion construction began on January 1984 on a lot of 90.5 pyeong at lot 1423-4 in Pyeongni-dong and a lot of 145.1 pyeong at lot 1426-6, and was finished on October. Father Jang carried out pastoral work centered on district leaders and the Legion of Mary under slogans such as hope, evangelization, self-denial, spirituality, grace, love, faith, prayer and gratitude, and conducted special lectures lasting 1 weeks for the re-education of newly baptized persons.

[Late 1980s to 1990s] According to the encyclopedia, under the 3th parish priest Father Shin Hyeon-ok, an Inseong Association was organized on May 1987 to help needy faithful in the Church, and income collected during the harvest thanksgiving period on November was used for the Inseong Association fund and to help needy neighbors. When Father Shin died on April 1988 as his chronic illness worsened, Father Lee Jong-heung served as temporary administrator, and then Father Gwak Gil-u took office as the 4th parish priest on June. Father Gwak worked to expand facilities, such as landscaping around the statue of the Virgin Mary and installing heating facilities, expanded district meetings from 24 groups to 70 groups, and increased parish association members from 12 standing members to 58 members. A telephone directory combining addresses and contact information of parish faithful was published on July 1989, and a credit union was established on August (the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records it as August 23, 1989), a Parish Day event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the parish foundation was held on October, and on December about 190 pyeong of land was purchased to build a combined annex building including a convent, kindergarten and rectory. Under the 5th parish priest Father Lee Jeong-chu, a groundbreaking ceremony for a combined annex building with 2 basement floor and 4 above-ground floors was held on July 1993 and completed on February 1994.

[After the 2000s] According to the encyclopedia, under the 7th parish priest Father Yu Seung-yeol, a flower bed was created in front of the parish on August 1999 and the statue of the Virgin Mary was moved, and under the 8th parish priest Father Gang Taek-gyu, church expansion construction began on August 2002 and was finished on November. From January 2003 to 14-15th a music camp for middle and high school students was held at the Jain Retreat House in Gyeongbuk, altar construction was done on December, and a walking pilgrimage to the Diocese of Suwon area was made on August 2004. According to the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia, a senior Bible school and culture classes (calligraphy, Korean-language class, traditional Korean music) were opened on March 7, 2003, a street basketball tournament for parish groups was held on May 9, 2004, a feast for the elderly on June 20, a family festival on September 19, a Comitium inauguration ceremony was held on January 7, 2007, and a parish unity sports festival was held on April 25, 2010. It also states that bazaars, concerts, pilgrimages, communal kimchi-making and activities of a mountaineering club, traditional percussion troupe, fishing club and badminton club are held.

[Present state and jurisdiction] As of January 2022, the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia lists parish priest Lee Jae-su (Simon), assistant priest Kim Yun-sik (Antonio), and 1,577 registered faithful, and cites organizations such as elementary and middle/high school Sunday schools, youth group and pastoral council, and within the Federation of Lay Apostolate Organizations, the Anna Association, Marian Association, Little Flower Association, Mothers’ Association, Altar Association, ME Association, Charismatic Prayer Group, Vocation Support Association, Funeral Service Volunteer Association, Ultreya, Senior Altar Servers, Military Chaplaincy Support Association, Vocation Prayer Group, Curia, Evergreen Sacred Heart School and others. The same source evaluates Pyeongni Church as a Catholic church needed to study the spread of Catholicism in the Seo-gu area of Daegu in the 1970s and the status and role of Catholicism in the local community. Its jurisdiction is described by the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia as all of Pyeongni-dong and parts of Jungni-dong, Ihyeon-dong and Naedang-4-dong, and by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea address book as all of Pyeongni-4 to 6-dong and parts of Naedang-4-dong and Jungni-dong, and the address book lists the religious congregation as the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres and the number of Catholic mission chapels as 0.

[Church statistics and successive parish priests] The church statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are 1,519 in 1980, 4,397 in 1985, 5,333 in 1990, 6,498 in 1995, 6,318 in 2000, and 4,071 in 2004. The successive priests are the 1st Lee Chang-bae Andrew (1979.11-1982.7), 2th Jang Tae-sik Lino (1982.7-1987.1), 3th Shin Hyeon-ok Cirillo (1987.1-1988.4), interim Lee Jong-heung Grisando (1988.4-6), 4th Gwak Gil-u Peter (1988.6-1991.6), 5th Lee Jeong-chu Paul (1991.6-1994.2), 6th Lee Gang-eon Paul (1994.2-1996.8), 7th Yu Seung-yeol Bartholomeo (1996.8-2001.2), and 8th Gang Taek-gyu Geronimo (2001.2-at the time of writing).

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, a modern building with a total floor area of 242 pyeong, including the church, rectory and catechesis room, was completed on October 1979, followed by expansion construction on October 1984 (lots of 90.5 pyeong and 145.1 pyeong), a combined annex building with 2 basement floor and 4 above-ground floors begun on July 1993 and completed on February 1994, creation of a flower bed in front of the church and relocation of the statue of the Virgin Mary on August 1999, and church expansion from 2002 8 to November. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records a church consecration ceremony on November 1980, expansions on October 1984 and November 2002, and lists the address as Pyeongni-4-dong 1423-5.

Related Places and People

• Naedang Church (Naedang-dong Parish): the mother parish from which Pyeongni Church branched off in 1979 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Bisan Parish: the parish where Lee Sang-han (Andrew) was baptized on April 1962. The Pyeongni parish site lies in the middle of Bisan-dong, Naedang-dong and Sangni-dong Parishes (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Lee Sang-han (Andrew): the believer who saved tithes to prepare land and donated the church site to the Archdiocese of Daegu (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Father Lee Chang-bae (Andrew): the first parish priest (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Pyeongni-dong Parish” (Vol. 11). Donation of the site and parish foundation, early activities, expansion, activities under successive parish priests, church statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/6490
2. Korea Research Institute for Korean Studies, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia “Pyeongni Church”. Foundation process, consecration in 1980, expansion, credit union, major projects, status and significance as of January 2022.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40004711
3. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Address Book “Pyeongni” (Archdiocese of Daegu). Foundation date 1979.11.16, patron St. Andrew the Apostle, religious congregation, jurisdiction.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000021&code=201000904&gubn2=all&char=all
4. Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu, Parish Information “Pyeongni Church”. Foundation date November 16, 1979, patron St. Andrew the Apostle.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=81&premenu&srl=church_search