Mannyeondong Catholic Church

Overview

Mannyeon-dong Church is a church in Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, belonging to the Diocese of Daejeon, established in 2002 after separation from Wolpyeong-dong Church. Its patron saint is St. John the Baptist, and on September 29, 2013 it moved into its new church building at 333 Daedeok-daero. It belongs to the Daejeon Western District.

History

[Establishment] The “Parish Introduction” on the Mannyeon-dong Church website states that Mannyeon-dong Church of the Diocese of Daejeon was established on February 7, 2002 after separation from Wolpyeong-dong Church. The list of former parish priests on the “Priests Introduction” page also records the tenure of the first parish priest, Father Kim Myeong-hyeon (Michael), as starting from February 7, 2002. The directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea records the establishment date as January 29, 2002, which differs from the website. The “Parish Introduction” explains that its jurisdiction covers all of Mannyeon-dong and part of Wolpyeong-dong in Seo-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, centered on the large residential areas near Tanbang-dong and Dunsan-dong in the new town area, including some commercial areas.

[Church Building and Entrance] According to the “Parish Introduction,” all members of Mannyeon-dong Church, from the elderly to children, participated with prayer and devotion despite difficulties in building the church, and on September 29, 2013 the parish moved into a reinforced concrete building at 333 Daedeok-daero, Seo-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City (site area 1,194.49㎡), with 3 basement floor(s) and 5 above-ground floor(s) (total floor area 4,989.99㎡), built at a total construction cost of 10,434,300,478 won.

[Community and Pastoral Care] The “Parish Introduction” states that at the end of December 2014 there were 2,208 faithful in 1,020 households (an average of 2.2 persons per household), and that all parish districts except 1 of the 17 parish districts were organized by apartment complex. Social ministry, centered on the social welfare section, regularly cares for about 40 households of elderly people living alone and families with disabilities, funded by 5% support from the parish budget, the “Love Your Neighbor Fund” collected at Lunar New Year and Chuseok, and donations through an online account. By district, parishioners volunteer at the House of Mary and Vincent House operated by the diocese, students volunteer by visiting Marian Village, and volunteers pick up trash around the church every week. In youth ministry, a Sunday school registration system was introduced starting in 2007, and lay teachers joined the Sunday school faculty, which had been centered on university students. The directory records 1,714 faithful.

[Patron Saint] The “Patron Saint” introduction page explains that the reason for honoring St. John the Baptist as patron is that the parishioners wish to live lives bearing witness to the Lord like the “voice of one crying out.” According to the introduction page, the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is June 24, and the memorial of his Passion is August 29.

[Former Parish Priests] The “Priests Introduction” page lists as former parish priests: the first, Father Kim Myeong-hyeon (Michael) (2002.2.7~2007.2.1, transferred to Gyuam Church in Buyeo), Father Han Tae-ho (Michael) (2007.2.1~2014.1.23, sabbatical year), Father Yu Hyeon-sik (Paul) (2014.1.23~2019.1.15, transferred to Sucheong Church in Dangjin), and Father Jeong Seong-yong (John the Baptist) (2019.1.15~2020.12.16, transferred to Ganggyeong Church), while Father Kim Jong-min (John the Apostle) is introduced as the 5th parish priest of Mannyeon-dong Church in Daejeon from December 16, 2021 (he was parish priest of Seocheon Church from January 19, 2017 to December 15, 2021). The 2021 entry on the website history board also records that Father Kim Jong-min (John the Apostle) came from Seocheon Church to take office as the 5th parish priest.

[Assistant Priests and Sisters] The former assistant priests are listed as Father Song U-jin (Peter) (2003.1.23~2005.1.29), Father O Gi-hwan (John) (2005.1.29~2007.2.1), Father Choe Seon-jong (Samuel) (2007.2.1~2009.1.22), Father Gang Jin-yeong (Joseph) (2009.1.22~2011.1.20), Father Yu Chang-yeon (John the Apostle) (2011.1.22~2013.1.17), Father Kim Je-dong (John the Apostle) (2013.1.17~2015.1.19), Father Lee Sang-jun (Augustine) (2015.1.19~2016.1), Father Lee Gyeong-nak (Andrew) (2016.1.19~2017.11.24), Father Seo Yong-won (Damian) (2017.11.24~2019.1.15), and Father Yeo Seong-min (Mark) (2021.12.16~2023.1.18), and the current assistant is the 11th, Father Ju Eun-bin (John the Baptist) (2024.1.18~). The sisters are introduced starting with Sister Gwak Jeong-hye and Sister Ju Ha-sang, who took office on March 4, 2003, and after 2020 sisters of the Mirinae Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary took office, with Sister Park Jeong-hui (Romana) taking office as convent superior on August 27, 2024. As a priest from the parish, Father Kim Jong-sik (Thaddeus), ordained on November 3, 2017 (appointed as assistant at Seonghwan Parish in 2017.11.24), is introduced. Here, an empty space after “~” means the person was in office at the time the website was written.

Architecture and Space

Church Facilities Gallery: The “Church Facilities Gallery” on the website contains photos of the church exterior (main gate and overall view), the lobby on floor 1 and the statue of Mary, the religious goods shop and book cafe on floor 1, the choir loft, meeting rooms and multipurpose room on floor 2, the lobby on floor 3, the interior of the church, and the confessional.

Related Places and People

• Wolpyeong-dong Church: the mother parish from which Mannyeon-dong Church was separated (“Parish Introduction”).
• St. John the Baptist: according to the “Patron Saint” introduction, he was born in Ain Karim as the son of Zechariah, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a relative of the Virgin Mary, and lived as a hermit in the Judean desert until around the year 27. From age 30, he administered a baptism of repentance by the Jordan River, and when Jesus came to him to be baptized, he recognized him as the Messiah. King Herod, whose marriage to Herodias he had denounced, imprisoned him in the fortress of Machaerus by the Dead Sea, and through the scheme of Herodias, Salome asked for his head and he was beheaded.

References and Sources

1. Mannyeon-dong Church, “Parish Introduction”. Separation and establishment from Wolpyeong-dong Church on February 7, 2002, jurisdiction, number of faithful, entrance into the church building in 2013 with building size and construction cost, social ministry and youth ministry.
   http://mncatholic.or.kr/introduction/
2. Mannyeon-dong Church, “Patron Saint”. Patron saint St. John the Baptist and the reason the parish honors its patron saint.
   http://mncatholic.or.kr/saint/
3. Mannyeon-dong Church, “Priests and Sisters”. Current parish priest and assistant, former parish priests and assistant priests and sisters, and priest from the parish.
   http://mncatholic.or.kr/father/
4. Mannyeon-dong Church, “Church Facilities Gallery”. List of photos of the church exterior and facilities by floor.
   http://mncatholic.or.kr/facilities/
5. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Mannyeon-dong”. Belonging to the Daejeon Western District, establishment date 2002.1.29, patron saint, number of faithful.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000016&code=201000674&gubn2=all&char=all