Boseong Catholic Church

Overview

Boseong Church is a church in Boseong-eup, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on December 1939 it was elevated from a Catholic mission chapel under Suncheon Parish (now Jeojeon-dong) to a parish, then was returned to a Catholic mission chapel at the end of the Japanese colonial period, and on December 7, 1954 it became a parish again. Its patron is Saint Francis Xavier (listed as Saint Francis Javier in the Bishops’ Conference directory).

History

[Arrival of the Gospel] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Gospel was first brought to the Boseong area at least before 1898. Father Baudounet, who took office in 1889 as the first pastor of Jeonju Parish (now Jeondong), toured Imsil, Namwon, Gurye and other places in 1898 to evangelize new areas and also visited the Boseong area, and as no Catholic mission chapel was established at that time, the encyclopedia states that only a small number of believers seem to have lived there.

[Establishment of the mission chapel and first elevation to parish] The encyclopedia records that a faith community was formed in Boseong in 1934. As the number of baptized people increased through the efforts of Lee Gyeong-cheol (Andrea), who had moved from Daegu, and his grandson Lee Seong-yeol (Stefano), Father J. Neligan of Suncheon Parish established the Boseong Catholic mission chapel in 1938 and built a hall of 25 pyeong. The next year, on November, Hwang Ho-yeon (Alberto) of Suncheon Parish took office as president for evangelization, and on December 1939, with its elevation to a parish, Father Kim Chang-hyeon Paul took office as the first pastor. However, in December of the year following the outbreak of the Pacific War, amid Japanese oppression of the Church, Father Kim Chang-hyeon was detained in Mokpo Prison and then, on March 1944, was transferred to Jangseong Parish, leaving the parish as a Catholic mission chapel without a shepherd.

[Re-establishment of the parish] After the end of the Korean War, on December 7, 1954, Father M. Morrissey of the Columban Missionary Society took office as the 2 pastor and it became a parish again. According to the encyclopedia, as the old church, long neglected during the prolonged absence of a parish priest, had become dilapidated and caused much inconvenience, Father Morrissey completed a new church of about 70 pyeong in 1955, Father O. Kennedy, the 4 pastor, newly built the rectory (21 pyeong) in 1959, and during the tenure of Father L. Lavan, the 5 pastor, in 1962 a hall (29 pyeong) and a statue of Our Lady were erected.

[Change of pastors and lay groups] The encyclopedia records that from August 1968 the Guadalupe Missionary Society took charge of the pastoral care of Boseong Parish, with Father Ortega taking office as the 7 pastor, and that he contributed to the inculturation of the liturgy by changing the Mass liturgy into the Korean form in accordance with the decisions of Vatican Council 2. On December 1973 the parish was transferred back to the diocese, and Korean Father Kim Yong-bae Andrea took office as the 10 pastor, focusing on revitalizing lay activities in order to renew a stagnant atmosphere. From this time, lay apostolate groups such as the Marian Association, the Anna Association, the Inseong Association, the Joseph Association, the Martha Association, the Youth Group, and the Catechetical Association were organized.

[Since the 1980s] According to the encyclopedia, Father Jeon Jong-bok, who took office on January 15, 1981 as the 13 pastor, planned to establish a kindergarten and newly built a building, but could not open it because of poor finances. Father Yun Yong-nam, the 14 pastor, on December 4, 1983 newly built a convent building and the following year invited the Mirinae Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Our Lady, and in the time of Father Lee Jae-hwi, on September 7, 1986 the Yedang Catholic mission chapel was established and on March 7, 1987 the Byeolbat Kindergarten was opened with its first entrance ceremony. On May 1988 the church, rectory and kindergarten buildings were remodeled and church landscaping work was carried out, but as annex facilities were insufficient and mostly dilapidated, on April 16, 1994 construction of a new kindergarten and rectory was begun and completed on December 23 the following year. Father Seo Sang-chae, who took office on January 1996 as the 20 pastor, strove to stabilize the parish through revitalizing evangelization, reconciling lapsed believers, and strengthening small-group meetings, as the outflow of believers to large cities intensified, the encyclopedia records.

[Church strength and jurisdiction] The church strength recorded in the encyclopedia is 565 persons in 1964, 666 persons in 1971, 553 persons in 1978, 805 persons in 1983, 1,084 persons in 1987, 1,222 persons in 1991, and 1,338 persons in 1995. Its jurisdiction is recorded as Boseong-eup, Mundeok-myeon, Buknae-myeon, Gyeombaek-myeon, Miryeok-myeon, Deungnyang-myeon, Hoecheon-myeon, Ungchi-myeon and Nodong-myeon. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory lists the parish currently as belonging to the south-central district, with its establishment date as September 1, 1941, its affiliated religious congregation as the Mirinae Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Our Lady, and its patron as Saint Francis Javier.

[Successive pastors] The successive priests recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Kim Chang-hyeon Paul (1941.9-1944.3), the 2 Morrissey (M. Morrissey) Michael (1954.12-1957.9), the 3 Rohan (P. Lohan) Patricio (1957.9-1958.8), the 4 Kennedy (O. Kennedy) Olivier (1958.8-1960.8), the 5 Lavan (L. Lavan) Laurence (1960.8-1965.11), interim Campion (L. Compion) Rahlin (1965.11-12), the 6 Carroll (V. Carroll) Vincent (1965.12-1968.8), the 7 Ortega (Estaban Ortega) Stefano (1968.8-1970.8), the 8 Franco (M. Franco) Maurilio (1970.8-1972.9), the 9 Alvarez (P. Alvarez) Paul (1972.9-1973.12), the 10 Kim Yong-bae Andrea (1973.12-1976.11), the 11 Jang Ji-gwon John (1976.11-1980.2), the 12 Lee Jong-hui John (1980.2-1981.1), the 13 Jeon Jong-bok John the Apostle (1981.1-1982.2), the 14 Yun Yong-nam Garino (1982.2-1985.6), the 15 Baek Yong-su Matthew (1985.6-1986.5), the 16 Lee Jae-hwi Simeon (1986.5-1988.2), the 17 Pyo Jae-hyeon Thomas (1988.2-1989.4), the 18 Jang Hong-bin Aloysius (1989.4-1992.2), the 19 Park Sang-seon Henry (1992.2-1996.1), and the 20 Seo Sang-chae Justin (1996.1-the time of the encyclopedia’s writing). The encyclopedia lists the first pastor’s term as beginning on September 1941, which differs in timing from the account of elevation to parish on December 1939.

Architecture and Spaces

According to the encyclopedia, Father Morrissey completed a new church of about 70 pyeong in 1955, and in 1959 the rectory (21 pyeong) and in 1962 the hall (29 pyeong) and a statue of Our Lady were erected. On December 4, 1983 a convent building was newly built, and on March 7, 1987 the Byeolbat Kindergarten was opened. On May 1988 the church, rectory and kindergarten buildings were remodeled and church landscaping work was carried out, and on April 16, 1994 construction of a new kindergarten and rectory was begun and completed on December 23 the following year.

Related Places and People

• Suncheon Parish (now Jeojeon-dong Parish): in 1938 Father Neligan established the Boseong Catholic mission chapel, and it is the parish that administered this area until its elevation to a parish on December 1939 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Beolgyo Catholic mission chapel: on December 7, 1954, when the Boseong Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish, it was incorporated into Boseong Parish, and on September 20, 1957 it was elevated to a parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Beolgyo Parish”).
• Yedang Catholic mission chapel: established on September 7, 1986 in the time of Father Lee Jae-hwi (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Byeolbat Kindergarten: opened on March 7, 1987 with its first entrance ceremony (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Boseong Parish” (Archdiocese of Gwangju, volume 5). Arrival of the Gospel, establishment of the mission chapel, elevation to parish in 1939 and return to mission chapel, re-elevation in 1954, construction of the church and annex facilities, church strength, jurisdiction, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2576
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Boseong” (Archdiocese of Gwangju). Establishment date 1941.09.01, patron Saint Francis Javier, religious congregation, south-central district.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001151&gubun=4