Yeosauleong Sanctuary

Overview

Yeosaul Shrine is a shrine of the Catholic Daejeon Diocese in Sinjong-ri, Sinam-myeon, Yesan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, and the site of the birthplace of Yi Jon-chang Ludovico Gonzaga, who first spread Catholicism in Chungcheong-do and was called the “Apostle of Naepo.” It was the starting point and center of the Naepo Catholic Church, and the birthplace site is Chungcheongnam-do Monument No. 177.

History

[The name Yeosaul and its setting] The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture explains that “Yeosaul” comes from Yeo-Seoul, meaning “lined with wealthy tiled houses, as if one had come to Seoul.” Northwestern Chungcheongnam-do, where this place is located, is a transport hub where the broad Naepo Plain spreads around Sapgyo Stream and Muhan Stream and river and sea waterways intersect; it was a center of commercial distribution with developed ports and a gateway on the water-transport route carrying tax grain to Seoul. The Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia writes that Muhan Stream meandered right in front of the birthplace site and that there was a “Yeosaul Port.”

[Yi Jon-chang’s conversion and evangelization] The Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia records that Yi Jon-chang (Ludovico, 1752–1801) was born as the son of a wealthy commoner apparently engaged in farming, lodging, and shipping, studied under the Namin scholar Yi Gi-yang, entered the school of the brothers Gwon Cheol-sin and Gwon Il-sin living in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do in 1776, and, at the urging of his teacher Gwon Il-sin, who had been baptized by Yi Seung-hun, who had visited Beijing in 1784, was baptized in 1785 (the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture gives his dates as 1759–1801 and says he was baptized by Yi Seung-hun around 1785). Yi Jon-chang became a member of the pseudo-clergy group together with Gwon Il-sin, Yi Seung-hun, Yi Byeok and others, received the mission to evangelize his home province of Chungcheong-do, came down and evangelized centered on Yeosaul, producing about 300 believers. The encyclopedia writes that Yeosaul was a village of about 30 households and over 300 people, most of whom converted through Yi Jon-chang’s evangelization, and that the scope of evangelization expanded to all of Naepo including Yesan. The Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia explains that at that time he also evangelized the families of Father Kim Dae-geon and Father Choe Yang-eop, and when the early Church, realizing the error of the pseudo-clergy system, promoted bringing in priests, he contributed financially to welcoming the Chinese priest Zhou Wenmo. Dallet’s “History of the Catholic Church in Korea” (1874) wrote, “Almost all of today’s Korean faithful can be said to be descendants of the faithful whom Yi Jon-chang brought into the faith.”

[The Sinae Persecution and martyrdom] According to Good News and the cultural encyclopedia, Yi Jon-chang was arrested in the Sinae Persecution sparked by the Jinsan incident in 1791 and, after severe torture at the Gongju magistrate’s office, apostatized. After release, tormented by pangs of conscience, he resumed evangelization, left Naepo and moved to Hongsan in Buyeo, then to Geumsan and Gosan, evangelizing even more zealously and resolving to atone through martyrdom. When Father Zhou Wenmo entered the country in 1795, he went up to Seoul to assist him, came down to Hongsan, was arrested again, and lived under detention in Cheonan for 6 years. In the Sinyu Persecution in 1801, he was transferred to Seoul, unwaveringly bore witness to the faith despite torture and persuasion, was sentenced to death in April together with Choe Chang-hyeon, Jeong Yak-jong and others, and, following the court’s decision to “show an example to the people of Chungcheong-do,” was transferred to Gongju and beheaded at Hwangsaebawi. Good News explains that this made Yeosaul the starting point and center of the early Naepo Catholic Church and the root of the Daejeon Diocese.

[The Yeosaul Catholic mission chapel after the persecutions] The Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia writes that during the persecution era lasting until 100, no church community outwardly remained in Yeosaul but a secret faith community is presumed to have been active, and that the Yeosaul faith community first appears in 1890, when Ganyangol Parish and Hapdeok Yangchon Parish were first established in Naepo, in the report of Father Paskie, pastor of Ganyangol Parish. The Yeosaul Catholic mission chapel belonged to Hapdeok Yangchon Parish, then to Hapdeok Parish when Yangchon Parish became Hapdeok Parish in 1899, to Yesan Parish when Yesan Parish was divided from Hapdeok Parish in 1927, and, when Sinryewon Parish was divided from Yesan Parish in 1977, to Sinryewon Church, becoming a mission chapel under Sinryewon Church. Until the early 1980s, more than 50% of the villagers were believers (over 300 people), but with population decline, since the 2010s about 100 people have been active. In the 1940s a large hanok was remodeled for use as the mission-chapel building, after liberation a building that had been the village hall under Japanese rule was purchased and used, and the old mission-chapel building (hall) that remains today was completed in 1958.

[Excavation of relics and development as a sacred place (1969–2010)] The cultural encyclopedia records that on June 18, 1969, led by Father Gu Ja-o of the Daejeon Diocese, the birthplace site of Yi Jon-chang was excavated, yielding 1 crosses, 3 rosary badges, 1 reliquaries, and others. The excavated objects are presumed to have been made in China around 1801, around the Sinyu Persecution, and brought in, and researchers believe Yi Jon-chang used them for liturgy and catechesis and hid them secretly just before the persecution to prevent damage and seizure. The iron cross, 7 cm wide and 15 cm tall, has a skull carved below the figure of Jesus, and the reliquary bears a relief of the Immaculate Conception; they are now stored and displayed at the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Museum in Seoul (the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture records the excavation as carried out in 1984 by Sinryewon Parish). In 1983 the Daejeon Diocese purchased the birthplace site, erected the “Monument to the Pioneer Yi Jon-chang” and an information sign, and began developing it as a sacred place (the encyclopedia records a blessing ceremony and monument erection in January 1987), and in 1994 a stone altar was installed. In 2002, led by Father Choe Gyo-seong (John), appointed pastor of Sinryewon Parish, additional surrounding land was purchased and nationwide sponsors recruited, with full-scale development. Good News writes that a shrine promotion committee was formed, access roads widened, and the Way of the Cross and hall created. From 2004 to 2005 the hall was built and parking expanded, and in 2006 the Way of the Cross was completed and a bypass access road newly built with Yesan-gun support.

[Separation as a shrine church and cultural-heritage designation (2008)] In January 2008 the Daejeon Diocese separated the Yeosaul Catholic mission chapel from Sinryewon Parish, establishing it as “Yeosaul Parish and Shrine,” and dispatched Father Jang Dong-jun Raphael as first pastor (encyclopedia). On December 22 of the same year it was designated as Chungcheongnam-do Monument No. 177, and on November 19, 2021, the designation number was abolished by Cultural Heritage Administration notice and it was redesignated as a Chungcheongnam-do Monument. The cultural encyclopedia writes that Yeosaul thus took its place with Solmoe Shrine and Sinri Shrine in Hapdeok as important shrines of the Korean Catholic Church.

[Memorial church and pastoral care (2010–)] On the site of the hall in front of the birthplace, the Martyr Yi Jon-chang Ludovico Gonzaga Memorial Church was newly built, and a rectory and convent were built behind the existing mission-chapel building; the memorial church with Spanish-style roof tiles held its blessing ceremony on October 16, 2010 (Good News). Successive pastors are the first Jang Dong-jun (Raphael), in 2013 the 2th Yun In-gyu (Laurence), and in 2015 the 3th Choe Seok-yeong (Ignatius) (Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia).

Architecture and Space

The Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia writes that in 2010 a European-style shrine church was newly built right in front of Yi Jon-chang’s birthplace site, and Good News explains that the martyr memorial church with Spanish-style roof tiles was built on the hall site in front of the birthplace, with a rectory and convent behind the existing mission-chapel building. The old mission-chapel building (hall) that remained after serving as a church is a wooden building completed in 1958, noted as a typical mission-chapel building of the time beautiful in exterior and interior structure (cultural encyclopedia). The shrine grounds have the Way of the Cross (completed in 2006), a stone altar, and new information signs.

Related Places and People

• Yi Jon-chang birthplace site: Chungcheongnam-do Monument No. 177, the site where Muhan Stream once flowed in front (Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Gongju Hwangsaebawi: where Yi Jon-chang was beheaded in 1801 (Good News, Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Museum: where excavated objects from the Yeosaul birthplace (iron cross, rosary badges, reliquary) are stored and displayed (Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Solmoe Shrine and Sinri Shrine: shrines in Dangjin Hapdeok that, with Yeosaul, have taken their place as important shrines of the Korean Catholic Church (Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Fathers Kim Dae-geon and Choe Yang-eop: produced from families evangelized by Yi Jon-chang, so Yeosaul is regarded as a nursery of priestly vocations (Encyclopedia of Korean Culture).

References and Sources

1. Catholic Good News Shrines and Historic Sites, “Yeosaul Shrine” (Daejeon Diocese). Overview of Yi Jon-chang’s life and shrine development after 2002, designation in 2008, memorial church blessing in 2010.
   https://m.catholic.or.kr/web/holyplace/?seq=2308
2. Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia, “Birthplace Site of Yi Jon-chang in Yeosaul, Yesan”. Yi Jon-chang’s conversion and martyrdom, excavation and excavated relics, development history, cultural-heritage designation.
   http://www.grandculture.net/yesan/toc/GC06601086
3. Digital Yesan Culture Encyclopedia, “Yeosaul Catholic Mission Chapel”. Changes in affiliation (1890–2008) and old mission-chapel building.
   https://yesan.grandculture.net/yesan/toc/GC06601083
4. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, “Yeosaul Catholic Historic Site”. Origin of place name, Yi Jon-chang’s evangelization, background of development.
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0069932