Shindong Catholic Church

Overview

Sindong Church is a church of the Archdiocese of Daegu located in Sin-ri, Jicheon-myeon, Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It was separated from Waegwan Parish and established on February 1, 1968, and its patron is Saint Andrew Kim Daegon. It is rooted in the Sinnamugol Catholic mission chapel and the Utjeom Catholic mission chapel, known as the cradle of mission in the Yeongnam Church, and the Sinnamugol historic site lies within its jurisdiction.

History

[Mission Chapel Period] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the history of Sindong Parish began with two historic Catholic mission chapels, Sinnamugol and Utjeom. The Sinnamugol Catholic mission chapel is the site of the first church building of Daegu (now Gyesan-dong) Parish and is known as the cradle of mission in the Yeongnam Church. Believers began to gather at the Utjeom Catholic mission chapel after 1860, forming a Catholic village with 14 believers in 1925 and more than 60 believers in 1932. The Utjeom Catholic mission chapel was transferred from the jurisdiction of Gasil (now Naksan) Parish to Waegwan Parish in 1932, and the believers there prepared a mission chapel hall at lot 508 in Sindong (now Sin-ri) and continued their life of faith.

[Merger of the Mission Chapels and Blessing of the Hall] After the Korean War, when Benedictine priests settled in Waegwan, the merger of the Sinnamugol Catholic mission chapel and the Sindong Catholic mission chapel was discussed, and the chapel believers purchased the present church site in January 1959 and completed the mission chapel hall on December 6 of the same year, holding a blessing ceremony officiated by Waegwan Abbot Msgr. T. Bitterli (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia). From then on, believers of both chapels received visits from Benedictine priests every Sunday and jointly offered Sunday Mass at the new chapel in Sindong. The Waegwan Church parish history records that on May 25, 1958, the Yeonhwa and Utjeon chapels were merged to build a hall in Sindong, and that the completion and blessing ceremony of Sindong Church (chapel) was held on December 6, 1959.

[Establishment as a Parish] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia, and the Daegu Archdiocese parish information all record that Sindong Parish was separated from Waegwan Parish and established on February 1, 1968. The Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia records that priests of the Benedictine Waegwan Abbey founded it and that the first priest, Father Lee Gyeong-u (Gabriel), took office. The Waegwan Church parish history records that the Sindong chapel was raised to a parish on October 28, 1967, giving a different date for the elevation.

[Successive Parish Priests and Parish Activities] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first parish priest, Father Lee Gyeong-u, devoted himself to youth education and the re-education of believers, teaching the Old Testament before Sunday Mass and showing zeal for the instruction of catechumens. The 2 parish priest, Father C. Schräfl, founded the Sangnok Academy in March 1970 for young people too poor to enter middle school, and took over the Yeonho chapel in a village for Hansen’s disease patients from Chilgok Parish to care for the patients. The 3 parish priest, Father R. Egner, made family visits immediately after taking office and established a daycare center that same year, which continues as Saetbyeol Kindergarten. Father Egner continued his pastoral work even after receiving a cancer diagnosis 1 years after taking office, and died on November 5, 1975. The 4 parish priest, Father Seo Sang-u, founded the parish bulletin in January 1976, and the 5 parish priest, Father B. Henneken, founded the credit union in 1979 and held events for the 30 anniversary of the founding of the Habin and Jicheon chapels. In the time of the 6 parish priest, Father S. Raster, special donations were collected for the 25 anniversary of the parish founding and the book “History of Sindong Parish Covering 25 Years” was published. The 7 parish priest, Father Park Geun-bae, completed the education hall and began youth Mass.

[Development of the Sinnamugol Shrine] The Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia records that from 1977 the Catholic village of Sinnamugol, where believers who had fled during the Catholic persecutions had lived together, was developed as a shrine in 1 and 2 phases. The same source records that in 1860 the grave of martyr Yi Seon-i (Elizabeth), who had lived in Sinnamugol and fled to Hanti, was moved from Hanti to Sinnamugol, and that the site of the first parish of the Daegu Diocese, the rectory, the Sinnamugol school and others were restored (the Waegwan Church parish history records that on July 8, 1984 the remains of Elizabeth Yi Seon-i were moved from Gwan-gok to Sinnamugol). The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that as of 2000 the parish was developing and managing the Sinnamugol historic site within its jurisdiction.

[Status] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that as of November 2000, led by the 8 parish priest, Father Lee Seong-geun, the Joseph Association, the Marian Association, the Seongwu Association, the Deresa Society, the Ignatius Association, the Elizabeth Association, the Daegon Association, the Hyoju Ars Association, the Youth Group and the Association for the Deceased were active, that its jurisdiction covers all of Jicheon-myeon, Chilgok-gun and part of Habin-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, and that it has 3 chapels: Habin, Jicheon and Yeonho. Parish statistics were 707 believers in 1968, 764 believers in 1972, 1,000 believers in 1977, 1,208 believers in 1982, 1,418 believers in 1987, 1,251 believers in 1992, 1,161 believers in 1997, and 1,188 believers in 1999. The Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia records that Father Park Geon-bae (Alexius) took office on February 15, 2009 and that, including the Sinnamugol chapel, there are more than 400 households and more than 1,000 believers, and that in 2009 the church interior was renovated to commemorate the 40 anniversary of the church.

Related Places and People

• Waegwan Church: the mother parish from which Sindong Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Sinnamugol Shrine: a historic site within Sindong Parish, developed and managed by the parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Hanti Shrine: the grave of martyr Yi Seon-i (Elizabeth) was moved from Hanti to Sinnamugol (Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Benedictine Waegwan Abbey: its priests founded Sindong Parish (Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Saetbyeol Kindergarten: the daycare center established by the 3 parish priest, Father Egner, became this kindergarten (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia “Sindong Church”. Founding background, chapel merger, first priest Lee Gyeong-u, Sangnok Academy, development of the Sinnamugol shrine, status in 2009.
   https://www.grandculture.net/chilgok/toc/GC02301438
2. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Sindong Parish” (8 volume, entry for the Archdiocese of Daegu). Establishment in 1968, chapel period, successive priests and activities, statistics, jurisdiction.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3901
3. Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Sindong Church”. Establishment date February 1, 1968, patron Saint Andrew Kim Daegon.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=93&premenu=c1&srl=church_search&y_id=93
4. Catholic Waegwan Church, parish history. Hall construction in Sindong in 1958, completion and blessing ceremony of Sindong Church in 1959, elevation of the Sindong chapel to a parish in 1967.
   https://www.wgc.or.kr/history.php