Damyang Church

Overview

Damyang Church is a church in Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do, belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, it began as a Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Bukdong Parish in Yanggak-ri, Damyang-eup, and was elevated to a parish when Father B. Geraghty took office as the first pastor in early 1957, with Saint Matthias the Apostle as patron.

History

〔Mission Chapel Period〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Damyang mission chapel began when Leontius Yi Gi-man of Naju moved here for work. According to the testimonies of former believers, Yi moved around 1940, and through continued evangelization the family of Peter Yi Dae-seong entered the faith, and toward the end of the Japanese colonial period they purchased a thatched house in present-day Yanggak-ri and started a mission chapel. The encyclopedia states that it began to gain vitality when Martina Oh, who had lived in Mokpo, returned and joined them. Upon liberation, Father T. Mulkern of Bukdong Parish briefly cared for them, and in the same year Father T. Cusack took office and celebrated Mass and other rites until 1947, while Father P. Monaghan, pastor of Bukdong Parish, purchased the present church site in 1948. During the 6·25 Korean War, when the site was moved from the Yanggak mission chapel to the present parish location, believers from Yongmyeon were absorbed.

〔Elevation to Parish and Early Facilities〕 The encyclopedia states that the Yanggak mission chapel was finally elevated to a parish when Father Geraghty took office as the first pastor in early 1957. Construction of the church began in 1958 and a dedication ceremony was held the following year, and in autumn 1960 land was purchased to establish a convent and welcome 2 Sisters of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1961 a hall for the Daechi mission chapel was built, and in 1966 the Changpyeong mission chapel was established at the request of believers in the Changpyeong area, and a parish rectory was also newly built.

〔Religious Congregations and Jurisdictional Changes〕 According to the encyclopedia, in 1975, 5 years after the withdrawal of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sisters of the Inbo Eucharistic Congregation came to assist in pastoral ministry, and in 1976 Sacred Heart Kindergarten opened and in 1984 the attached Sacred Heart Kindergarten was established and greatly helped Sunday school and children’s ministry until its closure. In 1982 jurisdiction over the Changpyeong mission chapel was transferred to Jungheung-dong Parish in Gwangju for reasons of transportation and distance, and in 1986 the Nammyeon mission chapel was newly built but jurisdiction was transferred to Gyerim Parish the following year. When Sacred Heart Kindergarten was closed on December 1987, a new convent was built in its place, and in 1989 the Daechi mission chapel was transferred to Ochi-dong Parish, the rectory was converted into an education hall, and a new rectory was built.

〔Devotional Groups and Youth Ministry〕 The encyclopedia notes that the parish devotional groups include the Student Association founded in 1960, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul organized in 1986 mainly to help neighbors in need, and the St. Anne Association organized to promote fellowship and devotional and prayer life among believers aged 55 and older, that the Queen of All Saints Curia was also born at this time, and that youth ministry was actively carried out, such as organizing mountain schools on July and holding summer formation sessions for young people.

〔Church Statistics and Jurisdiction〕 The church statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are 669 persons in 1965, 887 persons in 1975, 1,052 persons in 1980, 1,566 persons in 1988, and 1,501 persons in 1994. The jurisdictional area is listed as Damyang-eup, Goseo-myeon, Mujeong-myeon, Bongsan-myeon, Wolsan-myeon, Yongmyeon, and Geumseong-myeon. The Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference address directory lists the parish as belonging to the Gwangju North 1 District, with foundation date February 24, 1955, affiliated congregation the Inbo Eucharistic Congregation, and patron Saint Matthias the Apostle. The encyclopedia gives the foundation date as February 24, 1957, differing in year from the directory.

〔Successive Pastors〕 The successive pastors listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Bernardo B. Geraghty (Ji) (1957.2~1959.11), the 2 Edward E. Quinn (Byeon) (1959.11~1961), the 3 Francis F. Carr (Gal) (1961~1963.9), the 4 Carolus C. Carolan (Cha) (1963.9~1964.3), the 5 Gennaro K. Mangan (Man) (1964.3~1965.7), the 6 Gordianus G. Hickey (Seok) (1965.7~1967.8), the 7 (including interim) Francis Kim Seong-yong (1967.8~1972.2), the 8 Matthew Baek Yong-su (1972.2~1974.4), the 9 Michael Jang Yong-bok (1974.4~1976.3), the 10 Andrew Kang Yeong-sik (1976.3~1979.10), the 11 Thaddeus No Wan-seok (1979.10~1983.2), the 12 Andrew Lee Gyeong-cheol (1983.2~1985.2), the 13 John Oh Yo-an (1985.2~1989.4), the 14 Chrysostom Kim Gye-hong (1989.4~1992.1), the 15 Michael Kim Chung-ho (1992.1~1995.1), the 16 John Jang Ji-gwon (1995.1~6), and interim Simon Yun Yeong-nam (1995.6~present at the time of writing of the encyclopedia).

Architecture and Spaces

According to the encyclopedia, construction of the church began in 1958 and a dedication ceremony was held the following year. In autumn 1960 land was purchased to establish a convent, and in 1966 a parish rectory was newly built. When Sacred Heart Kindergarten was closed on December 1987, a new convent was built in its place, and in 1989 the rectory was converted into an education hall and a new rectory was built.

Related Places and People

• Bukdong Parish (Gwangju): the parish to which the Damyang mission chapel belonged; immediately after liberation Fathers Mulkern and Cusack cared for it, and in 1948 Father Monaghan purchased the present church site (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Daechi Mission Chapel: a hall was built in 1961 and jurisdiction was transferred to Ochi-dong Parish in 1989 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Changpyeong Mission Chapel: established in 1966 at the request of believers in the Changpyeong area, and jurisdiction was transferred to Jungheung-dong Parish in Gwangju in 1982 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Nammyeon Mission Chapel: newly built in 1986 and jurisdiction was transferred to Gyerim Parish the following year (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Damyang Parish” (Archdiocese of Gwangju, vol. 3). Mission chapel period, elevation to parish in 1957, church construction and convent, changes in mission chapel jurisdiction, devotional groups, church statistics, jurisdictional area, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1223
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Damyang” (Archdiocese of Gwangju). Foundation date 1955.02.24, patron Saint Matthias the Apostle, Inbo Eucharistic Congregation, Gwangju North 1 District.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001134&gubun=4