Sinpyeong Catholic Church

Overview

Sinpyeong Church is a church in Sinpyeong-myeon, Dangjin City, South Chungcheong Province, belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Daejeon. On April 10, 1975, 8 mission chapels under Sinhapdeok Parish were combined and elevated to a parish, whose patron is St. Joseph. It continues the faith community formed around Hanjeong-ri (Wonmeori) in Sinpyeong-myeon in the late Joseon period.

History

[Mission-chapel era] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, when Father C. Doucet was ministering in the Chungcheong region, mission chapels had already been established in 1883 in Hanjeong-ri (Wonmeori) and Maesan-ri (Soeteo or Saeteo) in Sinpyeong-myeon, and around 1886 the two chapels had 117 and 119 Catholics respectively. With the establishment of Yangchon Parish in 1890, the two chapels came under that parish, then in 1899 passed under the charge of Hapdeok Parish (now Guhapdeok Parish), and as Catholics increased, the Geumcheon, Eumsem-ri (now Maesan-ri), Sindang-ri, Geosan-ri, Chodae-ri and Unjeong-ri mission chapels were established. When Sinhapdeok Parish was established in November 1960, affiliation changed there, and in 1975 these 8 mission chapels were combined and elevated to Sinpyeong Parish.

The Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia writes that when Catholicism spread to the Naepo region including Sinpyeong in 1784, Catholics soon appeared around Wonmeori (now Hanjeong-ri in Sinpyeong-myeon), that many martyrs came from the late Joseon persecution period, and that the martyrs’ graves still preserved at Wonmeori at the Wonmeori Shrine show this. In the late 19 century, three mission chapels arose around Wonmeori: Wonmeori (Hanjeong-ri), Saeteo (Maesan-ri) and Eumseom (Maesan-ri), and statistics for 1961 counted 295 Catholics at Wonmeori, 338 at Maesan, 216 at Eumseom, 849 in all. When Sinpyeong Church was newly established in 1975, many favored placing the church site in the Wonmeori area, but Geumcheon-ri, the township seat with a market, was chosen as the proper administrative and transportation center. The church site in Geumcheon-ri began as a mission chapel in a small community of 52 Catholics in 1962, growing by 1967 to 120 Catholics and 43 catechumens, gathering first in a family home called a ‘mission house.’

[Elevation to parish and the first church] When Sinpyeong Church was established on April 10, 1975, there was no building in Geumcheon-ri to use as church or rectory. The first pastor, Father Joseph Lee Jong-dae, sold 7,636 pyeong of reclaimed land farmed by Catholics from the Wonmeori mission chapel to raise the building fund and began construction on the present church site, completing in March 1976 a 89-pyeong church and a 32-pyeong rectory and holding the blessing ceremony (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia writes that all Catholics volunteered by mission chapel and district with large participation by Catholics from the Wonmeori area, and that the blessing was held on March 19, 1976 in the presence of the diocesan bishop.

[The 1980s] Under the 2 pastor, Father Paul Park No-yeol, lay association activities flourished, and the 3 pastor, Father Thaddeus Seo Yong-tae, completed in August 1983 an 42-pyeong education hall for the re-education and meetings of Catholics. The 4 pastor, Father Paul Yun Yeo-hong, transferred in April 1989 into the church the remains of Matthew Park Seon-jin and Matthias Park, martyred in the Mu-jin year (1868) and buried at Wonmeori, as part of the Diocese of Daejeon shrine preservation and development work. At the request of Catholics the same year, Father Yun opened the Marian kindergarten in the education hall (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia writes that sisters of the Sisters of Jesus founded a branch house in 1987 and that the Marian kindergarten operated by the congregation was established on June 8, 1988.

[New church] By the 1990s the church building had become small and old, so a ‘Church Construction Committee’ was formed in 1993, and under the 6 pastor, Father John the Baptist Yun Jong-su, Paul Choe Seon-yeong donated 1,000 pyeong of land for new construction. But under the 7 pastor, Father Michael Kim Myeong-hyeon, an 4-lane road was to cut through there, so the plan changed to rebuild on the existing church site. After a groundbreaking ceremony in September 1999, a 2-story, 710-pyeong church was newly built and blessed in November of the following year, and in September 2000 the monuments honoring the two martyrs transferred into the church were blessed (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia writes that the blessing ceremony for the new church was held on November 21, 2000.

[Wonmeori martyrs’ graves and the present situation] The Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia writes that the church manages the ‘Wonmeori Martyrs’ Graves’ in Hanjeong-ri in Sinpyeong-myeon within its jurisdiction and that Catholics make a regular pilgrimage there on the first Thursday of each month. As of 2015, Sinpyeong Church has jurisdiction over Geumcheon-ri, Geosan-ri, Bonggyo-ri, part of Sango-ri, Maesan-ri, Hanjeong-ri, Sindang-ri, Sinheung-ri, Doseong-ri, Unjeong-ri, Jeondae-ri and Namsan-ri in Sinpyeong-myeon, with 1,866 Catholics.

[Church statistics and successive pastors] Church statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 1,683 Catholics in 1976, 1,649 in 1980, 1,761 in 1984, 1,967 in 1989, 1,425 in 1993, and 1,656 in 1999. Successive priests were the first Joseph Lee Jong-dae (1975.3–1976.9), the 2 Paul Park No-yeol (1976.9–1980.8), the 3 Thaddeus Seo Yong-tae (1980.8–1985.3), the 4 Paul Yun Yeo-hong (1985.3–1990.8), the 5 James Park Sang-rae (1990.8–1992.3), the 6 John the Baptist Yun Jong-su (1992.3–1998.2), and the 7 Michael Kim Myeong-hyeon (1998.2–) (as of the encyclopedia’s compilation).

Related places and figures

• Wonmeori Shrine (Wonmeori Martyrs’ Graves): martyrs’ graves in Hanjeong-ri, Sinpyeong-myeon, managed by Sinpyeong Church (Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Matthew Park Seon-jin and Matthias Park: martyrs martyred in 1868 (Mu-jin year) and buried at Wonmeori, whose remains were transferred into the church in April 1989 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sinhapdeok Parish: established in November 1960, to which mission chapels in the Sinpyeong area belonged before elevation to Sinpyeong Parish in 1975 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Yangchon Parish and Hapdeok (Guhapdeok) Parish: Hanjeong-ri and Maesan-ri chapels came under Yangchon Parish in 1890 and then under Hapdeok Parish in 1899 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Sinpyeong Parish”. Establishment of mission chapels in 1883, changes of parish affiliation, elevation to parish in 1975, church blessing in 1976, transfer of martyrs’ remains, new church in 2000, church statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3984
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Dangjin Culture Encyclopedia “Sinpyeong Church”. Wonmeori faith community, background to the choice of Geumcheon-ri, blessing in 1976, kindergarten, new church in 2000, Wonmeori Martyrs’ Graves, status in 2015.
   https://www.grandculture.net/dangjin/toc/GC06400960