Sinpyeong Catholic Church

History & origins

Catholic life in the Sinpyeong area long predates the establishment of the parish. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that mission stations already existed in Hanjeong-ri, also known as Wonmeori, and in Maesan-ri by 1883, and that each community had more than one hundred Catholics by around 1886. These communities came under Yangchon Parish in 1890 and Hapdeok Parish in 1899, while additional mission stations were established as the Catholic population grew. After Shinhapdeok Parish was created in 1960, the area came under its jurisdiction.

On April 10, 1975, eight mission stations under Shinhapdeok Parish were united and elevated as Sinpyeong Parish. The early parish community financed construction by selling reclaimed farmland cultivated by the Wonmeori mission station, and in March 1976 completed and dedicated a church and rectory. As parish life developed, an education hall was completed in 1983 to support faith formation and community gatherings.

The local tradition of honoring the martyrs also became deeply woven into parish history. In 1989, the remains of two martyrs from Wonmeori were transferred to the church for veneration, and population growth led to plans for a new church during the 1990s. Construction began in September 1999, and the new church was dedicated in November 2000; a memorial honoring the martyrs was also erected that year. In 2009, the remains were reinterred at their original place in Wonmeori as part of efforts to restore the significance of the martyr site, while a memorial remains at Sinpyeong. The parish thus developed through a continuing relationship between an old mission-station tradition and the commemoration of local martyrs.