석전 성당

History & origins

Seokjeon Parish was established on May 21, 1979, when it was separated from Waegwan Parish. A new parish was organized within the pastoral structure of the Waegwan vicariate, and Father Min Gong-do Aloysius was appointed as its first pastor. The first church was dedicated on November 11 of the same year, giving the Catholic community of Seokjeon a settled form as an independent parish.

From its foundation, Waegwan Abbey of the Order of St. Benedict was deeply involved in the parish's pastoral life. The Archdiocese of Daegu's record of the 2023 dedication notes the long service of the abbey and its priests in establishing and caring for the parish. This connection places the history of Seokjeon within the wider Benedictine pastoral tradition of the Waegwan area.

After decades in the earlier church, the community prepared for a new building over a long period. According to the archbishop's homily, parishioners had been praying and raising funds for more than ten years and continued fundraising efforts even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work culminated in the dedication Mass of the new church on September 9, 2023.

The dedication, forty-four years after the first church was blessed, was more than the replacement of a building. It gathered together the faith and cooperation passed from the founding generation to the present community. The parish's history thus forms a clear sequence: separation from Waegwan Parish, sustained Benedictine pastoral involvement, and the construction of a new church through years of preparation by the faithful.