Hapdeok Seongga Jeong Sunryeojaui Jip

History & origins

The direct predecessor of this facility was the youth hostel of Hapdeok Catholic Church. According to records of the Diocese of Daejeon, on November 7, 2008 a blessing ceremony for a statue of the Holy Family and the youth hostel was held at Hapdeok Catholic Church together with a Thanksgiving Mass. At the time, the diocese explained both the need to provide lodging and meals for pilgrims arriving at Hapdeok on foot and the need for a space for youth faith activities.

After its blessing, the youth hostel was used for youth faith schools, group programs, and pilgrim accommodation. This function developed alongside Hapdeok Catholic Church’s growing role not simply as a historic building but as a pilgrimage center connected with nearby holy sites. It provided a basis for extending the pilgrimage experience beyond the church itself into lodging, formation, and retreat programs.

The current Catholic Church directory in Korea lists the same place as a retreat and prayer house under the name “Hapdeok Holy Family Pilgrim House.” Official sources do not establish the exact date on which the name changed, so no unverified date is supplied here. The diocesan record and the current directory nevertheless show continuity between the pilgrim and youth functions of the hostel blessed in 2008 and the present Holy Family Pilgrim House.