Cheonan Oryong-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Cheonan Oryong-dong Church is a church of the Diocese of Daejeon located in Oryong-dong, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, South Chungcheong Province, and is the first Catholic church in Cheonan. On May 1939, it was elevated from a Catholic mission chapel under Anseong Parish to Cheonan Parish, and in 1977 it came to be called Oryong-dong Parish after the local district name. Its patron is St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and it spun off Seonghwan, Seonghwang-dong (present-day Sinbu-dong), Bongmyeong-dong, Guseong-dong (present-day Wonseong-dong), and Sinbang 2-dong Parishes.

History

[Mission Chapel Era and Parish Establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Gombert, the first pastor of Anseong (present-day Gupo-dong) Parish, established a Catholic mission chapel in the Cheonan area in 1921, and in 1932 purchased a 10,170-pyeong site at 9, Seonghwang-dong, Cheonan-si, in preparation for church construction. The Cheonan Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish on May 19, 1939, with Father Schnell appointed as the first pastor. The Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia writes that Cheonan was a small community belonging to the Anseong Catholic Church until the 1930s, but because it was a populous and important city, the mission chapel was elevated in 1939 and the first Catholic church in Cheonan was built in Seonghwang-dong and called the ‘Cheonan Catholic Church.’

[Seonghwang-dong Church and Relocation to Oryong-dong] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that Father Schnell newly built a 90-pyeong church on the land prepared by Father Gombert and held the blessing ceremony officiated by Bishop Noh Gi-nam (Paul) on September 1942. The 7th pastor, Father Shin Gyun-sik, purchased a 1,253-pyeong site at 43-3, Oryong-dong, Cheonan-si, the present parish location, in 1952, and the 9th pastor, Father Coyos, began church construction from April 1957 and held the blessing ceremony on November. The Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia writes that as the number of believers grew, a new Catholic church was built in Oryong-dong across from Cheonan Station, where transportation was convenient, completed on November 24, 1957 before relocating, and from 1977 it was called the ‘Oryong-dong Catholic Church’ after the district name. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that the name was changed to Cheonan Oryong-dong Parish on October 1977.

[Spin-offs] According to the Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia, Catholic churches built in other areas of Cheonan all initially spun off from the Oryong-dong Catholic Church. The Seonghwan Catholic Church in 1960, the Seonghwang-dong Catholic Church (present-day Sinbu-dong Catholic Church) in 1977, the Bongmyeong-dong Catholic Church in 1985, the Guseong-dong Catholic Church (present-day Wonseong-dong Catholic Church) in 1986, and the Sinbang 2-dong Catholic Church in 2008 spun off in succession. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that it spun off Cheonan Seonghwang-dong Parish (1977.10), Cheonan Bongmyeong-dong Parish (1985.2), and Guseong-dong (present-day Cheonan Wonseong-dong) Parish (1986.8).

[Changes in Pastoral Care and Facilities] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on August 1957 approval was received to establish Bokja Kindergarten, whose operation was entrusted to the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs. The 10th pastor, Father Gutierrez, erected a statue of the Virgin Mary in the church yard on August 1962, and the 11th pastor, Father Baek Nam-ik, carried out a complete renovation of the bell tower, sacristy, and church starting on July 1965 for about 4 months. The 15th pastor, Father Lee Gye-chang, newly built the rectory (45 pyeong) and held its blessing ceremony on October 1979, and the 16th pastor, Father Kim Sun-ho, expanded Bokja Kindergarten (44 pyeong) on May 1983 and created a church cemetery of about 10,000 pyeong at San 157, Bonghwang-ri, Byeongcheon-myeon, on May 1985. The 17th pastor, Father Son Man-jae, repaired the church stone altar and tabernacle frame on May 1989 and newly built the assistant priest’s rectory (10.56 pyeong) on August 1991. The 18th pastor, Father Jo Jang-yun, purchased the Pungse Catholic mission chapel site (1,924㎡) at 495-1, Pungseo-ri, Pungse-myeon, Cheonan-si, on March 1995, expanded and renovated the convent (35 pyeong) on September, and the parish building committee was launched on November 1996. The 20th pastor, Father Kim Byeong-jae, began construction of a 100-pyeong auditorium and completed a 2-story auditorium on February 2000, and in the same year, on November, completed the Pungse Catholic mission chapel building and held a blessing ceremony with Bishop Gyeong Gap-ryong (Joseph) presiding.

[Relief Supplies and Kindergarten] The Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia writes that after the 6·25 War, relief supplies sent by the American Catholic relief agency were distributed through Catholic churches, and in Cheonan they were distributed through the Oryong-dong Catholic Church until the mid-1960s. In Oryong-dong, sisters of the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs were dispatched starting in 1956 and began their activities, and a kindergarten was established by them, with the Bokja Kindergarten building completed on the church grounds on June 1959.

[Church Strength and Successive Priests] The church strength recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is 2,212 persons in 1956, 2,284 persons in 1962, 3,397 persons in 1968, 4,055 persons in 1972, 1,564 persons in 1977, 3,524 persons in 1982, 2,391 persons in 1988, 2,987 persons in 1992, 2,913 persons in 1997, and 2,846 persons in 2002. Its jurisdiction covers all of Cheongsu-dong, Yeongseong-dong, Sajik-dong, Oryong-dong, and Yonggok-dong, and parts of Wonseong-dong, Munhwa-dong, Daeheung-dong, Daga-dong, Gwangdeok-myeon, Pungse-myeon, Sinbang-dong, and Guryong-dong, with 2 Catholic mission chapels under its jurisdiction in Pungse and Gwangdeok. The Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction as Oryong-dong, Munhwa-dong, Daeheung-dong, Cheongsu-dong, Yeongseong-dong, Sajik-dong, Daga-dong, Yonggok-dong, Sinbang-dong, and part of Wonseong-dong, and the number of believers as 2,235. The successive pastors are the first Schnell Peter (1939.5~1942.9), 2th Park Gwi-hun John (1942.9~1945.8), 3th Lee Wan-seong John (1945.8~9), 4th Schnell (1945.9~1947), 5th Cleary Patrizio (1947~1948.8), 6th Poli Desiderado (1948.8~1950.9), 7th Shin Gyun-sik Dominico (1950.10~1953.9), 8th Fromantu Emilio (1953.9~1956.1), 9th Coyos Celestino (1956.1~1962.3), 10th Gutierrez Jacob (1962.3~1964.5), 11th Baek Nam-ik Dionisio (1964.5~1969.4), 12th Yu Bong-un Jacob (1969.4~1970.2), 13th Lee In-ha Benedicto (1970.2~1972.12), 14th Park No-yeol Paul (1972.12~1976.9), 15th Lee Gye-chang Augustino (1976.9~1982.9), 16th Kim Sun-ho Francisco (1982.9~1986.8), interim Kim Gi-man Alberto (1986.8~1987.2), interim Lee Won-sun Mattia (1987.2~8), 17th Son Man-jae John the Baptist (1987.8~1992.8), 18th Jo Jang-yun Bernardo (1992.8~1998.2), 19th Yun Se-byeong John the Baptist (1998.2~1999.1), and 20th Kim Byeong-jae Paul (1999.1~present). Here, ‘present’ means the time of writing of this encyclopedia.

Architecture and Space

The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that Father Kim Byeong-jae purchased land at 44-12, 130-7, and 131-1, Oryong-dong (total 83.18 pyeong) and at 131-7 (43.26 pyeong) on April 2001 and June, and additionally purchased land at 131-5 (2.72 pyeong) on March 2002, for the construction of a new church. Construction began on March 2002, completing a new church with 2 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors (613 pyeong), with the blessing ceremony officiated by Bishop Gyeong Gap-ryong on November 16. The Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia writes that the church building currently in use was completed on November 16, 2003, so the completion year differs by source.

Related Places and Figures

• Anseong (Gupo-dong) Parish: The parish where Father Gombert, who established a Catholic mission chapel in the Cheonan area in 1921, served as the first pastor; Cheonan was a mission chapel belonging to the Anseong Catholic Church until the 1930s (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Seonghwan Parish, Seonghwang-dong (Sinbu-dong) Parish, Bongmyeong-dong Parish, Wonseong-dong (Guseong-dong) Parish, and Sinbang 2-dong Parish: Parishes spun off from Oryong-dong Parish (Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Pungse Catholic mission chapel and Gwangdeok Catholic mission chapel: Catholic mission chapels under the jurisdiction of Oryong-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bokja Kindergarten: Approved for establishment in 1957 and entrusted to the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs for operation, with the building completed on June 1959 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Oryong-dong Parish” (Vol. 10). Elevation to parish in 1939, Seonghwang-dong church and relocation to Oryong-dong, spin-offs, facilities and projects, new church construction in 2002, church statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5912
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Cheonan Culture Encyclopedia “Oryong-dong Catholic Church.” Establishment in 1939 and relocation to Oryong-dong in 1957, spun-off Catholic churches, relief supplies and kindergarten, jurisdiction and current status.
   https://www.grandculture.net/cheonan/toc/GC04501538