Yeongmu Catholic Church

Overview

Yeonmu Church is a church in Yeonmu-eup, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, belonging to the Diocese of Daejeon. It was elevated and separated from a Catholic mission chapel under Nonsan Parish into a parish in 1958, and was first called Masan-ri Parish, with St. John Bosco as its patron.

History

[Mission Chapel Era] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1898 a Catholic mission chapel with 47 faithful had already been established in Daetdeul (present-day Jukpyeong-ri, Yeonmu-eup) under Hwasan Parish (present-day Nabawi), and 2 years later, in 1900, 22 faithful in Dokgakgol (present-day Dongsan-ri, Yeonmu-eup) started a mission chapel community. The Galmaeul mission chapel in Gayagok-myeon had as many as 119 faithful in 1899. In 1921, when Nonsan Parish was separated from Hwasan Parish, the Daetdeul mission chapel and the Dokgakgol mission chapel came under Nonsan Parish.

The Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia writes that faithful fleeing persecution from the Gyeonggi-do area and Chungcheongnam-do migrated to the Gosan area of Jeollabuk-do and formed Catholic villages, and that among the mission chapels of Catholic villages in the Chungcheongnam-do area were the Galmaeul mission chapel in Mokgok-ri, Gayagok-myeon and the Soemok mission chapel in Jungsan-ri, Yangchon-myeon. Of these, the Galmaeul mission chapel maintained 80~150 faithful, but after the establishment of Gosan Parish in Jeollabuk-do it came under Gosan Parish, which created a problem in that, although administratively in Chungcheongnam-do, its ecclesial jurisdiction belonged to Jeolla-do. In 1921, when Nonsan Parish was divided from Nabawi Parish (Hwasan Parish), jurisdiction over the Galmaeul mission chapel changed to Nonsan Parish, bringing the administrative district and the ecclesial jurisdiction into alignment.

[Elevation to Parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in May 1956, with financial support from Father P. Singer (Seong Jae-deok), parish priest of Nonsan Parish, the present church site of more than 8,000 pyeong was purchased, and following completion of the rectory in June 1958, it was elevated to a parish in August of the same year. The first parish priest, Father Dominic Shin Gyun-sik, 2 months later, in October, expanded the rectory to 2 stories for use as a temporary church, and at that time there were more than 300 faithful. The jurisdiction and mission chapels at the time of elevation covered the entire Yeonmu-eup area, as well as the Eunjin mission chapel and Gyochon mission chapel in Eunjin-myeon, the Malmok mission chapel and Galmaeul mission chapel in Gayagok-myeon, the Hwajeong mission chapel in Chaeun-myeon, and the Yangchon mission chapel and Soemok mission chapel in Yangchon-myeon.

Sources differ on the date of establishment. The Encyclopedia states that it was elevated from a mission chapel under Nonsan Parish to a parish in August 1958, while the Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia gives the date of establishment as on January 31, 1958, explaining that on that day areas including the Masan mission chapel, Taengni mission chapel, Hwajeong mission chapel, Jukpyeong mission chapel, Saeteo mission chapel, Galmaeul mission chapel, Soemok mission chapel and Malmok mission chapel, which had belonged to Nonsan Parish, were transferred to form the separated Masan Parish. As for the parish name, the Encyclopedia states that it was Masan-ri Parish at the time of elevation, changed to Yeonmudae in 1963, and has been called Yeonmu Parish since 1973, while the Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia states that the following year it was changed to Yeonmu Catholic Church in accordance with the Church’s official naming convention.

[New Church Construction and Blessing] When the number of faithful reached more than 700 in 1959, the temporary church became too small, so a new church was built with diocesan subsidies, contributions from the faithful, and relief grain, and the blessing ceremony was held in May of the following year (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). In March 1966, Father Shin Gyun-sik left to become parish priest of the newly established Munchang-dong Parish in Daejeon, but because the diocese lacked priests no successor was assigned, and the diocese entrusted pastoral care to Father John the Baptist Son Man-jae, parish priest of Nonsan Parish, until a successor was appointed.

Father Paul Byeon Gap-cheol, the 4 parish priest, decided to build a new church because of the increase in faithful and the aging building, and construction began in March 1977 with diocesan subsidies, proceeds from the sale of church land, and contributions from the faithful, with the blessing ceremony held on December 24 of the same year. Under Father Song Gab-ui, the 6 parish priest, a convent was newly built on October 3, 1982, and blessed in a ceremony officiated by Bishop Peter Hwang Min-seong, and since February 1987 under Father Joseph Park U-sik, the 7 parish priest, the branch of the Caritas Sisters has assisted in pastoral ministry. Under Father A. Plassier (Park Su-beom), the 8 parish priest, the education hall was blessed in a ceremony officiated by Bishop Joseph Gyeong Gap-ryong on January 31, 1993, and Father Peter Jeong Pil-guk, the 10 parish priest, held an event dedicating as many as 1,025 new families on November 29, 1998 as part of the 40 anniversary of the parish founding, and completed office, religious goods shop, and restroom work in October 2000 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[Church Statistics and Successive Parish Priests] The church statistics recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 973 in 1958, 1,289 in 1963, 1,098 in 1968, 1,217 in 1975, 1,214 in 1980, 1,312 in 1985, 1,573 in 1990, 1,646 in 1995, and 1,513 in 2000. The successive priests were the first, Dominic Shin Gyun-sik (1958.8~1966.3), the 2 parish priest, Anselmo Yu Jae-sik (1967.12~1972.12), the 3 parish priest, Andrea Park Jong-u (1972.12~1976.9), the 4 parish priest, Paul Byeon Gap-cheol (1976.9~1978.8), the 5 parish priest, Joseph Yi Jong-dae (1978.8~1981.10), the 6 parish priest, John the Apostle Song Gab-ui (1981.10~1985.5), the 7 parish priest, Joseph Park U-sik (1985.5~1989.8), the 8 parish priest, Augustino Plassier (1989.8~1993.3), the 9 parish priest, John Bosco Kim Jae-cheol (1993.3~1996.2), the 10 parish priest, Peter Jeong Pil-guk (1996.2~2001.2), and the 11 parish priest, Gabriel Yun Seong-gyun (2001.2~) (as of the time of writing of the Encyclopedia). The Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction as the Yeonmu-eup area of Nonsan-si and parts of Gayagok-myeon.

Related places and figures

• Nonsan Parish (present-day Nonsan Buchang-dong Parish): separated from Hwasan (Nabawi) Parish in 1921, it is the mother parish of the mission chapels in the Yeonmu area (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Hwasan Parish (Nabawi): in 1898 the Daetdeul mission chapel was established under this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Galmaeul mission chapel and Soemok mission chapel: mission chapels in the Chungcheongnam-do area originating from Catholic villages, which were under Yeonmu Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Daejeon Munchang-dong Parish: newly established in March 1966, it is the parish to which the first parish priest, Father Shin Gyun-sik, transferred (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Yeonmu Parish”. Mission chapel era, elevation to parish in 1958 and name changes, church construction and blessing, new church in 1977, church statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4447
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Nonsan Culture Encyclopedia “Yeonmu Church”. Catholic village mission chapels and jurisdiction changes, separation of Masan Parish on January 31, 1958, name change, jurisdiction.
   https://www.grandculture.net/nonsan/toc/GC02000880