St. Justin Seminary

Overview

Saint Justin Seminary was the first seminary in the Daegu region, located in Namsan-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu, founded by Bishop Demange (An Se-hwa), the first ordinary of the Daegu Vicariate, for priestly formation and opened on October 3, 1914. It was closed by the Japanese authorities on March 19, 1945, and the central part of the building remains on the Justin Campus of Daegu Catholic University.

History

[Founding background] According to Good News (edited from the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia), when the Daegu Vicariate was erected on April 8, 1911 and Bishop Demange was appointed as the first Vicar Apostolic, on the first Sunday after his arrival (July 2) he promised to build a grotto similar to the grotto of Lourdes and dedicate it to the Virgin Mary if the bishop’s residence, seminary and cathedral were expanded, and from that time the founding of the seminary became one of the most important works of the diocese. On July 5 of that year Seo Sang-don (Augustine) donated land for the bishop’s residence and the convent, and Bishop Demange decided to build the seminary on the donated land and appealed for financial support from all regions of the world.

[Construction process] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that in November 1912, on condition of taking Saint Justin as patron, 25,000 francs were received from an anonymous donor, and on September 4, 1913 ground was broken for the seminary and its attached church. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that the same anonymous donation came in September 1913 from an anonymous faithful in Shanghai, China, and explains that although the exact start date cannot be confirmed, it was 1913. The Guide to Holy Sites in Daegu (Gwandeokjeong Martyrdom Memorial Hall) records that Bishop Demange appealed to supporters in various countries in September 1912 and began construction in September 1913, completing even the church bell tower on August 12, 1914. Chinese technicians (bricklayers) undertook the construction.

[Rectors and faculty] The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that on July 19, 1913 Fr. Charjeboeuf (Song Deok-mang) arrived as rector and on July 15 Fr. Pessel (Baek Hak-ro) arrived as procurator and professor, while the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that while construction was underway, on May 3, 1914 Bishop Demange appointed Fr. Charjeboeuf as rector and Fr. Pessel (Baek Hak-ro) as professor, so the dating differs by source. The Holy Sites guide records that the first rector was Fr. Charjeboeuf (Song Deok-mang) of the Paris Foreign Missions Society.

[Opening (1914)] Classes were scheduled for September 19, 1914 but were postponed because completion of the building was delayed. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that Saint Justin Seminary was founded on October 1, 1914 and that with the opening ceremony on October 3, 57 seminarians enrolled. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that at the donor’s request the school name was fixed as ‘Saint Justin Seminary’ and that the first 57 freshmen included 17 seminarians of the Daegu Vicariate who had been studying at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Yongsan. The Holy Sites guide relates that during the retreat for the opening, on October 4 Bishop Demange blessed the church and erected 14 stations, that the dedication of the church took place on May 9, 1915, and that relics of two saints, Saint Pudentius and Saint Mansuetus, were enshrined in the altar.

[Academic system and operation] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the system, like Yongsan Seminary, consisted of a Latin-centered general education course (minor seminary, 6 years) and a philosophy-theology course (major seminary, 6 years), and about 50 new students were selected every 3 years. The Holy Sites guide records that for financial reasons seminarians did not enter every year and that entrance years continued as 1914, 1917, 1926, 1929, 1932 and so on. On February 23, 1918 Ju Jae-yong (Paul) was ordained as the first priest from this school. In January 1920, following instructions from the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Song Gang-jeong (Anthony) and Jeon Augustine were sent to study at the Urban University in Rome, in September 1922 a ‘preparatory class’ was established to prepare for entrance to the minor seminary, and in October of the following year the seminary villa ‘Saint Nicholas Villa’ was opened in Seongdang-dong, Dalseong-gun (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The villa was blessed on October 11, 1923 (Holy Sites). In the 1930s, following the separation of major and minor seminaries, minor seminarians in Daegu came to enter the Euljo track of Dongseong Commercial School in Hyehwa-dong from 1931 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[3-1 Movement and seminarians] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that when the 3-1 Movement broke out, seminarians sang songs for independence inside the school on March 7, on March 9 Kim Gu-jeong (Ignatius) and Seo Jeong-do led a letter to U.S. President Wilson, and planned to participate in the manse demonstrations by copying the declaration of independence and making national flags, but it came to nothing when it became known to the rector priest, and vacation was moved forward to May 1. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that students, including singing songs for independence in the playground on the evening of March 5, 1919, began the manse movement first in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, so the dating differs.

[Closure (1945)] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia explains that at the time there were seminaries in three places in Korea—Seoul, Daegu and Deokwon—but the only one to receive formal authorization was Deokwon Seminary, authorized in February 1935. Saint Justin Seminary held its last ordination on December 23, 1944 and was closed on March 19 of the following year, and the seminary building and land were requisitioned by Japanese Army Unit 218 on March 31, 1945 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia; the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that a week after closure the Japanese army occupied the entire building). After closure, 7 theology students transferred to Deokwon Seminary, philosophy students moved to the ‘Gyeongseong Catholic Seminary’ authorized on February 23, 1945, and 4 men who had received the subdiaconate, under the guidance of Fr. Choe Min-sun (John), were ordained priests on December 15, 1945. Since its opening it produced 67 priests.

[After closure] The building, which had remained closed, was used as classrooms for Daegun Middle and High School, which opened under the name Daegun Junior Middle School in 1946 (September 20 according to the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia), and then in 1991, when the School of Theology of Daegu Catholic University moved in, the projecting side wings were demolished, leaving only part of the center including the church. The Holy Sites guide records that in 1980 the spring general assembly of bishops decided to establish a seminary in Daegu and on December 26, 1981 a provincial seminary opened in Samjeonggol at the foot of Apsan, with Fr. Lee Jong-heung taking office as the first dean. Seonmok School of Theology changed its name to Daegu Catholic College in 1984 (1985 according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia), and in March 1991 the major seminary moved to the campus of Saint Justin Seminary in Namsan-dong, Daegu.

[Cultural heritage designation and 100th anniversary memorial hall] According to the Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia, the central church building was designated as Daegu Metropolitan City Cultural Heritage Material No. 23 on December 15, 1990, and the designation number was removed following the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act on June 29, 2021. The Archdiocese of Daegu held a ceremony for the 100th anniversary of the opening on May 30, 2014 in the Namsan-dong major seminary cathedral in Daegu and renovated the interior to open the ‘Saint Justin Seminary 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall,’ composed of 4 halls—Justin Hall (Architecture Hall), Demange Hall (Founder Hall), Assum Hall (Archives Hall), and Omnia Hall (100th Anniversary Hall) (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

Architecture and Space

The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia explains that the old seminary building had a U-shaped plan, symmetrical around the central church, and that the Romanesque continuous arches on the 1-story front served as a veranda; Bishop Demange invited Fr. Victor Louis Poisnel (Park Do-haeng), who had participated in the construction of Myeongdong Church, to design it, and Chinese bricklayers carried out the construction. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia records that it is a 2-story building of red brick, symmetrical around the church in the center of the facade, that the arcade passage on the front of the 1 story was used as a corridor, and that the roof is hipped with windows on each face. The main entrance to the church section is in the bell tower on the west front, and above the 4-story bell tower a tall octagonal spire was raised like the bell tower of Gyesan Church. Only the central part remained after demolition in 1991, but the interior floors, ceilings and walls were repaired in 1994 to preserve its appearance well, and the church is said to remain as Bishop Demange dedicated it in 1915. The Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia evaluates it as a building of religious-historical value containing Daegu’s Catholic history, together with architectural-historical value for introducing Western modern architectural styles and brick manufacturing and laying techniques to Daegu.

Related Places and Figures

• Bishop Demange (An Se-hwa): first ordinary of the Daegu Vicariate, founded the seminary (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Seo Sang-don (Augustine): donated the seminary site (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).
• Fr. Charjeboeuf (Song Deok-mang): first rector (Holy Sites in Daegu, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Fr. Victor Louis Poisnel (Park Do-haeng): designed the seminary (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• School of Theology of Daegu Catholic University (Justin Campus): the seminary now using this building (Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Catholic Good News Holy Sites and Historic Sites, “Saint Justin Seminary” (edited from Volume 7 of the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). Founding process, academic system, 3-1 Movement, closure and reopening, architecture, cultural heritage designation, 100th anniversary memorial hall.
   https://maria.catholic.or.kr/sa_ho/list/view.asp?ctxtOrgNum=2256&menugubun=holyplace
2. Digital Daegu History and Culture Encyclopedia, “Saint Justin Seminary”. Construction process, 3-1 Movement, closure, building structure, cultural heritage designation and removal of designation number.
   https://www.grandculture.net/daegu/toc/GC40001971
3. Gwandeokjeong Martyrdom Memorial Hall, Holy Sites in Daegu “4. Saint Justin Seminary Memorial Hall”. Construction schedule, church dedication (1915), entrance years, first priest and closure, reopening of Daegu Catholic University.
   http://www.daegusaint.org/p405/1923