Hongseong Catholic Church

History & origins

The Hongseong area was part of Naepo, where the Catholic faith spread rapidly from the early years of the Church in Korea, but the community was severely disrupted by persecutions including the Byeongin Persecution. As the Church in Naepo was rebuilt after the persecutions, Catholics in Hongseong passed under the jurisdiction of Sugok, Old Hapdeok, and Yesan parishes. In April 1950 Hongseong was separated from Yesan Parish and established as its own parish.

The first pastor, Father Joseph Kang Man-su, was arrested during the Korean War and was killed around September 1950. With pastoral activity interrupted, Hongseong reverted to mission-station status under Yesan Parish. The parish was restored when a priest was again assigned in March 1956, allowing parish life to resume after the break caused by the war.

The community acquired the site of the present church in 1963, began construction of a church in 1968, and held its dedication in July 1969. As new parishes were later separated in surrounding areas, the territory of Hongseong Parish was adjusted. During the 1990s the commemoration of the martyrs became more concrete within the parish, including the enshrinement of relics associated with Saint Thomas Son Ja-seon and other efforts to preserve the region’s martyr heritage.

As the older church aged and the needs of the community changed, a new church was constructed and dedicated in June 2011. The Catholic Times described it as a memorial church honoring the faith of the martyrs of the Hongju area. The history of Hongseong Parish thus connects wartime interruption and restoration, successive church buildings, and the continuing remembrance of the martyrs of Naepo and Hongju within the life of the present parish.