Yakmok Catholic Church

Overview

Yakmok Church is a church of the Archdiocese of Daegu located in Bokseong-ri, Yakmok-myeon, Chilgok-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. On October 25, 1973, it was elevated from the Yakmok Catholic mission chapel under Waegwan Parish to a quasi-parish, and in November of the same year it became a parish. Its patron saint is Saint Nicholas of Flue.

History

[Arrival of the Gospel and the mission-chapel era] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Gospel was first preached in the Yakmok area around 1920 when Kim Hyo-saeng (Paul) moved there. Afterwards believers gradually gathered and lived together, and in 1928, when Waegwan Parish was established, there were about 20 believers in the Yakmok area. In May 1952, as the Benedictines took refuge and settled on the present site of Waegwan Abbey, the number of believers increased. Father Kim Yeong-geun of Waegwan Parish, seeing the fervent life of faith of the Yakmok believers, appointed Lee Sang-myeong (Alphonsus) as president of the mission chapel and devoted himself to evangelization in the Yakmok area. After temporarily borrowing and using Yakmok Higher Civic School, a mission-chapel hall was prepared on the present church site in December 1961, and when the number of believers reached more than 600, it was elevated to a quasi-parish on October 25, 1973. The Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia states that this church was founded as the Yakmok mission chapel of Waegwan Church in 1961 and was elevated to a quasi-parish on October 25, 1973.

[Elevation to parish] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the Yakmok quasi-parish was again elevated to a parish on November 3. The first pastor was Father I. Scheiwiler (Sim Iso), and according to the Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia, the church building that had been prepared during the mission-chapel period was completed in November 1973 and the first pastor served from 1973 to 1978. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first pastor appointed a president for evangelization to take charge of parish administration and missionary activity and to assist in the instruction of catechumens. The parish history of Waegwan Church records that on December 16, 1971 the Yakmok mission chapel was elevated to a quasi-parish, thus recording a different date for the elevation.

[Development] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the 2 pastor, Father E. Dörfler, organized the first praesidium of Yakmok Parish, the “Help of Christians” praesidium, founded the Yakmok Credit Union in May 1981, and, as church strength grew, carried out an extension of the church in May of the following year. The 3 pastor, Father No Gyu-chae, devoted himself to the instruction of catechumens, increased church strength, repaired the rectory, and organized the Saint Anne Association and the Saint Joseph Association. The 4 pastor, Father Hwang Chun-heung, invited Sisters of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in Daegu in May 1985 and built a temporary education hall on October 1 of that year. The 5 pastor, Father A. Seuferling, also served the United States military unit in Waegwan and the Sacred Heart Nursing Home while erecting a new statue of the Virgin Mary. The 6 pastor, Father B. Henneken, revitalized the Sunday school and organized a choir, and even after the Sisters withdrew in January 1987, he personally guided catechumen instruction and the re-education of believers.

[Construction of the new church] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as ministry became difficult in the cramped and aging church, a committee to promote construction of a new church was formed in January 1994, the groundbreaking ceremony was held in July of the following year, and the new church was built on the site where the existing education-hall building had been demolished and was completed in December of that year. The dedication ceremony was held on April 14, 1996, presided over by Archbishop Lee Mun-hui (Paul), and the old church was renovated and used as an education hall. In 1998, marking the 25 anniversary of the parish founding, a parish history was published, and Father Lee Seok-jin, who took office as the 7 pastor in June of the following year, strengthened devotional associations and organized the Saint Peter Fellowship.

[Successive pastors and present status] The Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia states that the 2 pastor, Father Egbert Dorfler, had served at the North Korean Benedictine Tokwon Abbey and at Yongjeong Church and Hunchun Church in Yanbian, China, before being arrested by the Communist Party just before the 6-25 War, suffering torture and imprisonment, then being expelled to Germany and later returning to Waegwan Abbey. This source continues that the 3 pastor Father No Gyu-chae (Augustine), the 4 pastor Father Hwang Chun-heung (Damian), the 5 pastor Father Alois Seuferling, the 6 pastor Father Bartholomaeus Henneken, and the 7 pastor Father Lee Seok-jin (Gregory) served, and on August 10, 2004 Father Go Geon-sang (Melchior) took office as the 8 pastor. As for the present status, it records 427 households of believers, more than 1,000 believers, and that believers account for about 6% of the population of Yakmok-myeon. The church strength recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is 631 in 1973, 722 in 1980, 801 in 1985, 640 in 1990, 964 in 1995, and 1,412 in 1999, and its jurisdiction covers all of Yakmok-myeon except Gwanho 2 to 4-ri and all of Buksam-myeon.

Related places and people

• Waegwan Church: the mother parish that had jurisdiction over the Yakmok mission chapel and from which Yakmok Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).
• Waegwan Abbey of Saint Benedict: after settling in Waegwan in May 1952, the number of believers in the Yakmok area increased (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Kim Yeong-geun: as priest of Waegwan Parish, he appointed Lee Sang-myeong (Alphonsus) as president of the Yakmok mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Egbert Dorfler: the 2 pastor of Yakmok Parish, who had served at Tokwon Abbey and at Yongjeong and Hunchun churches in Yanbian, China (Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Chilgok Culture Encyclopedia “Yakmok Church”. Founding of the mission chapel, elevation to quasi-parish in 1973, careers of successive priests, appointment in 2004, current status of believers.
   https://www.grandculture.net/chilgok/toc/GC02301439
2. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Yakmok Parish” (Volume 8). Elevation to parish, arrival of the Gospel, mission-chapel hall, successive priests, dedication of the new church, statistics of church strength, jurisdiction.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4273
3. Archdiocese of Daegu, parish information “Yakmok Church”. Date of establishment October 25, 1973, patron saint Saint Nicholas of Flue.
   https://www.daegu-archdiocese.or.kr/page/area.html?menu=c4&number=97&premenu=c1&srl=church_search&y_id=97
4. Waegwan Church, parish history. Record of the elevation of the Yakmok mission chapel to quasi-parish.
   https://www.wgc.or.kr/history.php