Seongju Catholic Church

Overview

Seongju Church is a church belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu in Seongju-eup, Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province. Developed from the Sanmakteo Catholic mission chapel, on March 19, 1950 it was elevated from a Catholic mission chapel under Waegwan Parish to a parish, and its patron saint is St. Joseph. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia describes it as the first church in Seongju County to be elevated to a parish.

History

[Era of evangelization and mission chapels] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that around the time Fr. Robert, appointed as the priest in charge of the Gyeongsang-do region after the Byeongin Persecution, was staying in Sinnamugol, believers had settled in mountain areas such as Hwangnim, Seomuteo and Meokbangi in Jangnan-myeon, Geumneung-gun, and believers in Neunggol, Daega-myeon, Seongju-gun and Jageun Baeri, Seongju-myeon (now Gyeongsan 5-dong) held mission gatherings in private homes centered on Yi Bong-jo (Joseph). Around September 1894, with the establishment of Gasil (now Naksan) Parish in Waegwan, the first pastor Fr. C. Pailhasse took charge of pastoral care for northwestern Gyeongsang-do, bringing the Seongju area under its jurisdiction.

[Sanmakteo Catholic mission chapel] Two sources describe the beginning in the Seongju-eup area slightly differently. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that around 1900, Ju Pil-hak (James), who lived in Sanmakteo (now Seongsan 3-dong), was baptized by Fr. Joyau of Gasil Parish and then devoted himself to evangelization, so that the Gospel began to spread, and in early 1917 the number of believers exceeded 100. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia says that around 1895, the family of Ju Pil-hak living in Sanmakteo was moved by the story of the priest of Gasil Church and accepted the Catholic faith, that Sunday prayer services were held every Sunday centered on the Ju Pil-hak family, and that Fr. Ok Yu-a and Fr. So Se-deok of Gasil Church came to the Sanmakteo Catholic mission chapel every year to administer Easter confession. When Fr. So Se-deok was in charge, about 50 believers and catechumens from Eungol in Daega-myeon, Jageun Baeri in Seongju-eup, Cheolsan in Wolhang-myeon, Geumeun-gae in Yongam-myeon and other places received Easter confession. The two sources agree that in April 1917 Ju Pil-hak’s son Ju Mu-seong built the mission hall. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that Ju Mu-seong (Alex) built the ‘Seongju Catholic mission chapel’ hall with the help of Fr. Tureunoe of Gasil Parish and at his own expense, while the Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that Ju Mu-seong donated property to build the Sanmakteo mission chapel and that believers then numbered more than 300.

[Under Waegwan Parish and elevation to parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, after Waegwan Parish was established in May 1928, the Seongju Catholic mission chapel was transferred to the jurisdiction of this parish in 1931 (the Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia gives the 1930s), and with the growth of the church it was elevated to a parish on March 19, 1950. The Daegu Archdiocese parish information also lists the foundation date as March 19, 1950 and the patron saint as St. Joseph. Fr. Gim Jae-seok (Joseph) was appointed as the first pastor, purchased a tile-roofed house in Gyeongsan 2-dong (now the site of the convent) and remodeled it into a church. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives the number of believers at the time of elevation to parish as about 600.

[Period under Waegwan Abbey] The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that amid damage including requisition of the church by the People’s Army during the 6-25 War, Sinseong Kindergarten was still established in 1951. In 1953, Waegwan Abbey received pastoral authority from the Diocese of Daegu and came to have jurisdiction over Seongju, Yagmok, Gimcheon, Gumi and other areas, so that from December 8, 1953 Seongju Church also came under Waegwan Abbey. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that in 1953 the Waegwan Territorial Vicariate was established and parish pastoral authority was entrusted to the Order of St. Benedict, and that Fr. R. Egner took office as the 2 pastor. The year after taking office Fr. Egner built a new church and in 1955 built a rectory, and the Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that on August 11, 1954 a new church with an area of 330.6㎡ was completed and the existing building was used as a St. Benedict convent.

[Branch parishes and social work] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that under the 3 pastor Fr. E. Dörfler, a branch house of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres was established in December 1958, and on April 22, 1961, when the Gacheon Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish, the registers of 7 Catholic mission chapels with 650 faithful were transferred. The parish also managed the Seongsim Clinic (now the Seongju Branch of the Catholic Hospital) established on March 1, 1962 in Yongbong-dong, Chojeon-myeon, Seongju-gun for the treatment of Hansen’s disease patients and extremely poor patients. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that when Fr. Jeong Muk-deok (Ekbereudo) was pastor in the early 1960s, 26 Catholic mission chapels were built and charitable work was carried out to support the Hansen’s disease village in Yongbong-ri, Chojeon-myeon. Sources differ on the timing of the separation of Chojeon Parish. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that Chojeon Church in 1958 and Gacheon Church in 1961 were separated and elevated from Seongju Church, while the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that Chojeon Parish was separated on January 5, 1980.

[Return to the Daegu Archdiocese and the 1970-80s] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that on July 15, 1978 parish pastoral authority was returned to the Daegu Archdiocese and the 6 pastor Fr. Park Byeong-won took office, while the Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that in March 1978 the abbey priests’ council decided to transfer Seongju Church and Gacheon Church to the jurisdiction of the Daegu Archdiocese. On April 1 of the following year Fr. Park Byeong-won founded a credit cooperative (the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives it as ‘Hanbyeol Credit Cooperative’ and the Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia gives it as ‘Hanbyet Catholic Credit Cooperative’), and on August 26 of the same year built the bell tower of the Gwangyeong Catholic mission chapel. On March 1, 1981 the ‘House of Dialogue’ was prepared in the church basement, on October 6, 1985 a statue of Mary was erected, on July 5, 1987 the parish bulletin was first published, and in 1988 the retreat house was extended. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that at that time there were about 3,500 faithful and Catholic mission chapels reached 16 places.

[Construction of the new church] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that on September 30, 1990 a ‘Church Construction Committee’ was formed and funds were raised, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 5, 1993, and on March 19 of the following year a church with 1 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors (total floor area 418 pyeong) was completed and blessed. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that in 1993 a new parish church was built through the efforts of head priest Yi Eung-uk and the faithful, and that afterwards the church weakened along with the decline of the rural population. It then records a Sunday school registration system and library in 1996, a Seongju regional faith gathering on October 12, 1997, and in 2000 a plan to compile a parish history commemorating the 50 anniversary of the parish foundation.

[Jurisdiction and statistics] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is all of Seongju-eup, Seonnam-myeon and Yongam-myeon and parts of Wolhang-myeon and Daega-myeon, with jurisdictional Catholic mission chapels at 7 places including Wolhang, Doheung, Sangsin, Yongam, Sinbu, Gwangyeong and Myeongpo, and church statistics of 4,002 in 1963, 4,497 in 1966, 4,851 in 1976, 4,775 in 1980, 3,505 in 1985, 3,546 in 1990, 3,409 in 1995, and 3,481 in 1997. The Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia states that as of 2019 there were 619 households and 1,524 faithful, that there was 1 jurisdictional mission chapel at Wolhang Catholic mission chapel, and that the jurisdictional area included Seongju-eup and Daesan-ri, Anpo-ri, Yonggak-ri and Yuwol-ri in Wolhang-myeon, and Geumsan-ri, Okseong-ri, Yongheung-ri, Chilbong-ri and Heungsan-ri in Daega-myeon.

[Successive pastors] The successive priests listed by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Gim Jae-seok Joseph (1950.3-1953), the 2 R. Egner Reginald (1953-1956), the 3 E. Dörfler Ekbeldo (1956-1964), the 4 Z. Siebertz Ernst (1964-1969), the 5 A. Seuferling Aloysius (1969-1978.7), the 6 Park Byeong-won Philip (1978.7-1981.4), the 7 Jeong Jae-wan Nicholas (1981.4-1984.2), the 8 Yi Jae-su Simon (1984.2-1987.6), the 9 Jeong Chun-seok Augustine (1987.6-1990.6), the 10 Yi Eung-uk John (1990.6-1994.8), the 11 Yi Chang-gyu Matthias (1994.8-1997.3), and the 12 Na Jin-heum Augustine (1997.9-).

Related places and people

• Gasil Church (Naksan): the church to which the priests who administered Easter confession in the Sanmakteo mission-chapel period belonged (Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Waegwan Church and the Waegwan Abbey of the Order of St. Benedict: the parish to which the jurisdiction of the Seongju Catholic mission chapel was transferred in 1931, which took charge of the pastoral care of Seongju Church after 1953 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia).
• Gacheon Church: the parish separated and elevated from Seongju Church in 1961 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia).
• Chojeon Church: the parish separated from Seongju Church (sources differ on the timing of separation).
• Seongsim Clinic (Yongbong-dong, Chojeon-myeon): a facility for the treatment of Hansen’s disease and extremely poor patients established on March 1, 1962 and managed by the parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Ju Pil-hak and Ju Mu-seong: the believer who led the beginning of the Sanmakteo Catholic mission chapel and his son, who built the mission hall in 1917 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Seongju Parish” (vol. 7). Elevation to parish on March 19, 1950, mission-chapel era, new church construction, branch parishes, new church in 1993-1994, jurisdictional area and mission chapels, statistics, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3464
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Seongju Culture Encyclopedia “Seongju Church”. Origin of the Sanmakteo mission chapel, elevation to parish in 1950, completion of the new church in 1954, jurisdiction of Waegwan Abbey, transfer to the Daegu Archdiocese, status in 2019.
   https://www.grandculture.net/seongju/toc/GC08401009
3. Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Seongju Church”. Foundation date March 19, 1950, patron saint St. Joseph.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=91&premenu=c1&srl=church_search&y_id=91