Bongseondong Church

Overview

Bongseon-dong Church is a church in Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on February 7, 1990 it was separated and established from Bangnim-dong Parish and Wolsan-dong Parish, and its patron is St. Jerome.

History

〔Background of foundation〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as apartment complexes began to be built in Bongseon-dong and Juwol-dong, one of the densely populated areas in Gwangju, and the number of faithful in the area increased, the diocese planned to establish a parish. After purchasing 581 pyeong of the present church site on June 1988, the diocese established Bongseon-dong Parish as of February 7, 1990 and appointed Fr. Jang Yong-bok as the first pastor.

〔Construction of the church〕 The encyclopedia states that the parish first used a tent church and later built a prefabricated church (137 pyeong), and as the number of faithful surged and a new church became urgently needed, Fr. Cho Cheol-hyeon, who took office on February 1993, began construction of the new church on April of the same year. Construction was once suspended due to design changes and fundraising difficulties extended the period, with many twists and turns, and the church (918 pyeong) was completed on October 1, 1994. The following year, on October 1, as a 1 anniversary event for the new church, a Marian grotto was created and statues of Jerome, the parish patron, and Kim Dae-geon were enshrined.

〔Parish size and jurisdiction〕 The jurisdiction recorded in the encyclopedia covers Bongseon-dong, Juwol-dong and Jinwol-dong, and the parish statistics are 1990: 2,995 members, 1993: 5,442 members, and 1996: 6,321 members. The encyclopedia notes that, on the basis of steady growth, the parish is vibrant and plans to divide the parish in the near future.

〔Successive pastors and directory record〕 The successive pastors recorded in the encyclopedia are the first, Jang Yong-bok (Michael, 1990.2–1993.2), and the 2, Cho Cheol-hyeon (Pius, 1993.2–present at the time of writing). The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory lists the present parish as belonging to the Gwangju South District, with the establishment date as February 7, 1990, the patron as St. Jerome, and the serving sisters as the Sisters of Charity of Seton.

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, on June 1988 581 pyeong of the present church site was purchased, and a tent church was first used, followed by a prefabricated church (137 pyeong). Construction of a new church began on April 1993, the church (918 pyeong) was completed on October 1, 1994, and on October 1, 1995 a Marian grotto was created and statues of Jerome, the patron, and Kim Dae-geon were enshrined.

Related Places and Persons

• Bangnim-dong Parish and Wolsan-dong Parish: on February 7, 1990 Bongseon-dong Parish was separated and established from these two parishes (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Bongseon-dong Parish” (Archdiocese of Gwangju, Vol. 6). Background of foundation and establishment in 1990, purchase of the church site, completion of the church in 1994, parish statistics, jurisdiction, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2646
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Bongseon-dong” (Archdiocese of Gwangju). Establishment date 1990.02.07, patron St. Jerome, Sisters of Charity of Seton, Gwangju South District.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001152&gubun=4