Jochiwon Church

Overview

Jochiwon Church is a church in Nam-ri, Jochiwon-eup, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, belonging to the Diocese of Daejeon. Established in 1955, it is described by the Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia as the first Catholic parish in the Sejong area, and according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia its patron is Christ the King. Its first pastor was Father Gu Jeon-hoe.

History

〔Establishment〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that it was separated and established from Daejeon Parish (now Daeheung-dong) in January 1955, while the Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia states that Jochiwon Church was established in Jeongni (Jeong-dong), Jochiwon-eup in February 1955. The Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia also states that it was separated from Osong Church in Osong, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province in 1962, so the circumstances of its foundation and separation are described differently in each source. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in December 1954 Father Oh Gi-seon (Joseph), the 9 pastor of Daejeon Parish at that time, purchased a wooden building at 72, Jeong-dong, Jochiwon, which had been a restaurant during the Japanese occupation, in order to establish a new parish in the Jochiwon area. In January of the following year, Father Gu Jeon-hoe (Bartholomew), who took office as first pastor upon the establishment of the parish, began to remodel the building into a church, finished the work in November, and held the dedication ceremony presided over by Bishop A. Larribeau.

〔Establishment of mission chapels〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Gu Jeon-hoe purchased a building at San 19, Nosong-ri, Dong-myeon, Yeongi-gun and established the Nosong Catholic mission chapel (the original text gives the year as “October 1863”). Father A. Paillet (Bang Yak-jong), the 2 pastor, established the Bongam mission chapel in May 1965. The Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia states that in 2000 the Bongam mission chapel was dissolved and absorbed into Jochiwon Church.

〔Move to the present site and new construction〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Yun Yeo-hong, the 5 pastor, sold the church land in Jeong-dong in May 1967 and moved the parish to its present site at 61-1, Nam-ri, Jochiwon-eup (the Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia also states that it moved to its present location in May 1967). Father Kim Yeong-gon, the 6 pastor, built a church and rectory in May 1970, and in May 1971 rebuilt the Nosong mission chapel and held its dedication ceremony presided over by Bishop Hwang Min-seong (Peter). Father Yu Seong-suk, the 7 pastor, established and opened a branch of the Inbo Sisters of the Holy Eucharist in the parish in April 1973, and in April 1974 built the Jeonui mission chapel hall.

〔Kindergarten and separation of Jeonui Parish〕 Father Jo Gyu-sik, the 9 pastor, obtained authorization for two classes in March 1979 and opened St. Mary’s Kindergarten (the Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia states that in the same month the kindergarten building was constructed and St. Mary’s Kindergarten was opened). In April 1980 he separated and established Jeonui Parish, transferring 240 faithful to the new parish, and in July of the following year built a parish education hall with an area of 54 pyeong. Father Jeong Yong-taek, the 10 pastor, received the Geumnam mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Doryong-dong Parish in January 1987 (the Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia states that it administered the Geumnam mission chapel from 1988 to 2010).

〔Since the 1990s〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Jo Byeong-gi, the 13 pastor, installed sidewalk blocks at the church in October 1993 and in December rebuilt the rectory, convent, kindergarten, offices and other facilities, and in April 1995 built the House of Gathering as a 20-pyeong wooden building. Father Kim Gi-ryong, the 14 pastor, doubly extended a 3-story prefabricated building in April 1998 because it absorbed much heat. Father Yeo Chung-gu, the 15 pastor, extended the kindergarten and restrooms in August 1999, and in November 2000 pruned the ginkgo tree inside the church grounds.

〔Church strength and activities〕 The church strength recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is in 1955 700 people, in 1964 800 people, in 1973 1,104 people, in 1982 1,789 people, in 1991 3,665 people, and in 2000 3,151 people, and the jurisdictional area at that time covered Jochiwon-eup, Geumnam-myeon, Dong-myeon, Seo-myeon and Jeondong-myeon. According to the Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia, as of 2019 1 parish priest and 2 sisters serve together, and parish groups include the elementary, middle and high school sections and youth group, Monica Association, altar servers association, Shinwoo Association, Daegon Association, Ultreya, choir and others. The jurisdictional area is the whole of Jeondong-myeon in Sejong Special Self-Governing City and Sinheung-ri in Jochiwon-eup and Seochang-ri, Sinan-ri, Chimsan-ri, Gyo-ri, Won-ri, Sang-ri, Jungbong-ri, Myeong-ri, Jeong-ri, Pyeong-ri and Nam-ri, and Nosong-ri and Naepan-ri in Yeondong-myeon. Church projects include education and seasonal camps for children and youth, volunteer activities by district, Saetbyeol College, Bible study groups, and markets to raise social welfare funds. This source evaluates Jochiwon Church as the oldest church in Sejong Special Self-Governing City and the cradle of the local Catholic Church.

〔Successive pastors〕 The successive priests recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Gu Jeon-hoe, Bartholomew (1955.1–1964.1), the 2 Paillet (A. Paillet, Bang Yak-jong), Augustine (1964.1–1965.7), the 3 Lopepe (P. Lopépé, No), Peter (1965.7–12), the 4 Millot (J. Millot, Min), Joseph (1965.12–1966.12), the 5 Yun Yeo-hong, Paul (1966.12–1967.5), the 6 Kim Yeong-gon, Philip (1967.5–1972.12), the 7 Yu Seong-suk, Louis (1972.12–1975.8), the 8 U Je-guk, Philip (1975.9–1977.10), the 9 Jo Gyu-sik, John (1977.10–1982.9), the 10 Jeong Yong-taek, John (1982.9–1986.4), the 11 Yun Jong-su, John (1986.4–1992.3), the 12 Yu Bong-un, James (1992.3–1993.8), the 13 Jo Byeong-gi, Paul (1993.8–1998.2), the 14 Kim Gi-ryong, John the Apostle (1998.2–1999.1), and the 15 Yeo Chung-gu, Mark (1999.1–).

Related places and people

• Nosong Mission Chapel: a Catholic mission chapel in Nosong-ri, Yeondong-myeon, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, belonging to Jochiwon Church. The Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia “Nosong Mission Chapel” explains that the village of Norimi in Nosong-ri, Dong-myeon, Yeongi was where Catholicism first spread in the Yeongi area, and that the chapel has belonged to Jochiwon Parish since 1955. This source states that the mission chapel hall was built in 1963 and rebuilt at its present location in 1971, and that the “100-Year History of Nosong Mission Chapel” was published.
• Jeonui Church: a parish separated and established from Jochiwon Church in April 1980 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia).
• Bongam Mission Chapel and Geumnam Mission Chapel: mission chapels administered by Jochiwon Parish; Bongam Mission Chapel was established in May 1965 and absorbed in 2000, and Geumnam Mission Chapel was transferred in 1987 and administered (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Jochiwon Parish” (Vol. 10). Separation and establishment from Daejeon Parish in January 1955, patron, jurisdictional area and church strength, building purchase and dedication, establishment of mission chapels, move to the present site, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5646
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia “Jochiwon Church”. First parish in the Sejong area, establishment in 1955, move to the present site in 1967, new sanctuary in 1970, separation of Jeonui Church, administration of mission chapels, jurisdictional area and present state.
   https://www.grandculture.net/sejong/toc/GC07700957
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Sejong Culture Encyclopedia “Nosong Mission Chapel”. Changes in affiliation of Nosong Mission Chapel belonging to Jochiwon Church and construction history in 1963 and 1971.
   https://www.grandculture.net/sejong/toc/GC07700958