목동 성당

History & origins

Organized Catholic life in the Daejeon area began to take firmer shape when Father Joseph Yi Jong-sun of Okcheon Parish established the Daejeon Mission Station in late October 1915. As the number of Catholics increased, a large property was acquired in early 1919 in Bangchuk-ri, Oenam-myeon, in the area now known as Mokdong. On November 12 of that year, a traditional Korean house was renovated and Daejeon Parish was established. A temporary church was prepared in 1920, and a new church was built in March 1927, strengthening the parish’s base.

After liberation from Japanese rule, the growing Catholic population created a need to move the parish center closer to the city center. On October 7, 1945, Daejeon Parish moved to a temporary church in Daeheung-dong. The existing Mokdong community became a quasi-parish entrusted to the Franciscans, and the name Mokdong Parish became established. During the Korean War the priest serving the community was killed and the parish remained closed for years, but in May 1958 it was restored as a full parish responsible for the area north of Daejeon Station and the provincial government offices.

During the 1960s the parish developed active catechetical programs using audiovisual materials and expanded its lay organizations. In 1971 it completed a new church to replace the aging building. As Daejeon’s urban area grew, several new parishes—including Yucheon-dong, Goejeong-dong, Daesa-dong, and Taepyeong-dong—were successively separated from Mokdong. In this way the parish not only grew itself but also served as a parent community for the expanding Church around it.

After Daejeon became a directly governed city in 1989, further expansion of facilities became necessary. Construction of another church began in 1990, and the present building was completed in November 1991. From the site of the early Daejeon Parish through Franciscan ministry, wartime interruption and restoration, and the creation of neighboring parishes, Mokdong’s history offers a concentrated view of how the Catholic Church in Daejeon expanded alongside the city.