Jungjang Mission Station

History & origins

The prehistory of Jungjang Mission Station begins with a small Catholic community formed in the Hadae-ri area around the time when the long era of persecution was drawing to a close. According to a historical account in the Catholic Times, about ten Catholics gathered for prayer in the home of Kim Seong-gu, and evangelizing activity became more active after Go Gi-deuk moved into the area in 1946. In 1949 a priest from Gongju Jungdong Parish visited the community, formally established the Hadae-ri mission station, and appointed Go Gi-deuk as its first lay leader.

In the 1950s, environmental changes forced the community to relocate. When the original village faced inundation because of reservoir construction, the parish purchased a house in Jungjang-ri in 1956. The mission station moved there and began to use the name “Jungjang Mission Station.” The move did not break the community's continuity; rather, it allowed the same believers to continue their gatherings in a new place of residence.

The present mission-station building was erected in 1979. Parishioners collected offerings and raised funds in various ways for the construction of a new chapel. In 1987 a separate retreat house was also provided for retreats and community activities, giving the small mission station space not only for liturgy but also for formation and gatherings of faith.

The history of Jungjang cannot be explained only through the ministry of priests sent from the mother parish. At each major turning point—the house gathering, the activity of lay leaders, relocation because of inundation, and fundraising for the chapel—voluntary participation by local Catholics was central. This continuity shows how a rural mission station could remain a living part of the local Church over many decades.