Goheung Church

Overview

Goheung Church is a parish in the South-Central District of the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju, located at 20 Singye Hakrim-gil, Goheung-eup, Goheung-gun. The patron saint of the parish is Mary, Help of Christians (Maria Auxilium Christianorum). The present church is a sanctuary consecrated in 2001, continuing the history of the Goheung Catholic community which grew from a Catholic mission chapel era in the 1950s into a parish.

The Catholic community in the Goheung area began to form in the mid-1950s when a small number of the faithful began celebrating Mass regularly. It then grew into an independent parish after being under the jurisdiction of Suncheon Parish and Beolgyo Parish, and it influenced mission work and the formation of Catholic mission chapels in various parts of Goheung-gun. In particular, in the 1990s it became widely known for producing and selling yuja tea made from the local specialty yuja as a project to raise funds for building the church, and as one of its fruits the present church was consecrated in 2001.

There are differences among Church sources regarding the exact date of establishment of the parish. The current parish information of the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju gives December 24, 1970 as the date of establishment, and the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s “Korean Catholic Directory” records December 4, 1970. By contrast, the Research Foundation for Korean Church History’s “Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism” states that it was separated from Beolgyo Parish and established as a parish on January 1, 1971. A report in 2020 on the 50th anniversary of the parish’s establishment summarizes that it was raised from a Catholic mission chapel to a parish in December 1970. In view of these differences, this article takes as its basis the fact that it was raised to a parish in December 1970 and does not assert an exact date.

History

The origin of Goheung Church lies in Goheung Catholic mission chapel. According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, in 1955 6 faithful living in Goheung, then under the jurisdiction of Suncheon Parish (now Jeojeondong Parish), including Jeong Gye-seong (Joseph), Kim Laurentius and Cha Isidore, laid the foundation of the community in consultation with the parish priest. The following year, in 1956, they began celebrating Sunday Mass 1 times a month at 107 Seomun-ri, Goheung-myeon. A Catholic Newspaper article in 2020 on the 50th anniversary of the parish’s establishment also explains that Goheung Parish began with the establishment of Goheung Catholic mission chapel under Suncheon Jeojeondong Parish in 1956.

In 1958 the pastoral jurisdiction over Goheung Catholic mission chapel was transferred to Beolgyo Parish. Father Morrissey (M. Morrissey, Michael Mo) of Beolgyo Parish at the time rented a faithful family’s house in Okha-ri, Goheung-myeon to help the mission-chapel community continue celebrating Mass. Later, with the help of Father O’Leary (A. O’Leary, Andrea Oh), they began purchasing land in the area where the present church stands. The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records that from 1960 until June 1961 they secured about 690 pyeong of land in three stages.

In September 1965 a hall and a rectory were built on this land. The mission-chapel community later used this hall as its church. Goheung Catholic mission chapel was raised to an independent parish in December 1970, and from 1971 priests of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society began to take a full part in ministry in the Goheung area. Sources differ on the order of pastors in this period. The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records Father Raimundo Spies (R. Spies) as the first pastor and Father Francisco Arriaga (Francisco Arriaga Méndez, Korean name Min Ho) as the 2th pastor. By contrast, a report in 2020 on the 50th anniversary introduces Father Francis Min as the first pastor. This article therefore does not definitively fix the order of the two priests.

After elevation to parish status, facilities were expanded in stages. According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, a rectory was built in 1971 and an education hall was provided in 1976. In October 1981 the existing church was extended and a convent and meeting rooms were also built. As Catholic mission chapels and parishes in different parts of Goheung-gun grew during the same period, the jurisdictional structure of Goheung Parish also changed.

An important separation connected with Goheung Parish is Nokdong Parish. According to church-history materials of Catholic Peace Broadcasting and the Peace Newspaper, Nokdong Catholic mission chapel was incorporated under Goheung Parish in December 1970, and after expansion of the church it was separated from Goheung Parish on December 12, 1980 and newly established as Nokdong Parish. In the Dohwa area as well, priests of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society carried out mission work, forming Dohwa Catholic mission chapel belonging to Goheung Parish, which later grew into Dohwa Parish.

In the 1980s Goheung Parish strengthened lay organizations and the biblical apostolate as well as expanding facilities. The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records activities such as the pastoral council, youth group and Legion of Mary, together with the operation of a correspondence Bible course from June 1980. In October 1983 a touring prayer meeting with the relics of the Blessed Martyrs, connected with the project for the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Catholic Church in Korea, was held in the parish.

In the 1990s the parish community’s long-term fundraising for a new church building stood out. Goheung Parish began producing and selling yuja tea processed from the local specialty yuja in 1991. According to a Catholic Newspaper report in 1997, this project aimed both to help the income of parishioners who were yuja farmers and to raise funds for a new church. Many of the faithful personally took part in washing, cutting, removing seeds, mixing with sugar, bottling and packaging the yuja. The article records that from 1991 to 1996 it earned about 3 hundred million won, and orders grew to about 1 ten thousand and 8 thousand bottles.

After such preparation a new church was built, and on April 23, 2001 the rite of dedication was celebrated with Archbishop Choi Chang-mu, then Archbishop of Gwangju, presiding. The Catholic Newspaper reported that about 400 people, including the faithful and local residents, attended the dedication. The pastor at the time was Father Kang Yo-seop. The new church complex, including the church as well as an education hall, rectory and convent, became the pastoral center of Goheung Parish.

On May 17, 2020 a Mass of thanksgiving for the 50th anniversary of the parish’s establishment was celebrated with Archbishop Kim Hee-joong, then Archbishop of Gwangju, presiding. Bishop Ok Hyeon-jin, then vicar general of the diocese, and parishioners took part in the event, and plaques of gratitude were presented to parishioners who had contributed to the parish’s development. This 50th anniversary event became an occasion officially to look back on the history of the community that had grown from Goheung Catholic mission chapel into an independent parish.

Architecture and Space

The central building of Goheung Church today is the sanctuary consecrated in 2001. According to the Catholic Newspaper’s report on the dedication at the time, the church site was about 1,250 pyeong and the total floor area was about 275 pyeong, with the church, education hall, rectory and convent built together. The total construction cost was reported as about 8 hundred million and 5 ten million won.

The clearest architectural feature of the present sanctuary is the symbolism given to its exterior. At the time of the dedication the Catholic Newspaper described the new church as a building “in the form of an egg symbolizing the Resurrection”. The egg has long been used in Christian culture as a symbol recalling new life and the Resurrection, and Goheung Church’s architectural form is recorded as intentionally reflecting this meaning.

In currently verifiable highly reliable public materials, it is difficult to find consistent official records on the designer’s name, the detailed name of the structural type, the builder, interior sacred-art artists, stained-glass makers and the like. It is therefore appropriate not to assert such details on the basis of unverified personal blogs or photo captions.

The spatial history of Goheung Church can be understood not as completed at once but as a process that started from small facilities in the mission-chapel period and gradually expanded. It led through the construction of a hall and a rectory in 1965, expansion with a rectory and an education hall in the 1970s, extension of the church and construction of a convent and meeting rooms in 1981, fundraising for church construction in the 1990s and the dedication of a new church in 2001. The present sanctuary thus has the historical context of being the final fruit of the activities and facility expansion of the Goheung faithful community accumulated over decades, rather than simply the result of erecting a new building.

Religious Significance and Visiting Context

The patron saint of Goheung Church is Mary, Help of Christians. Under this title the parish venerates the Virgin Mary as its protector, as is confirmed in common in the official parish materials of the Archdiocese of Gwangju and the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

In understanding the religious significance of Goheung Church, it is important to look together at the formation of the local community rather than the building itself. The Catholic community in Goheung did not begin as a large parish but started from a Catholic mission chapel where a small number of the faithful in the 1950s arranged for regular Mass. It then developed into an independent parish through parishioners’ provision of land and construction of facilities, ministry by foreign missionary priests, and the growth of lay groups and the biblical apostolate.

The yuja tea project is a representative example showing the community history of Goheung Parish. This project was not simply a sales activity but a joint effort in which parishioners used local produce to raise funds for church construction and sought to help the income of faithful farming households. Several of the faithful directly participated in the work process, and its proceeds became one of the foundations for building the new church. The dedication of the sanctuary in 2001 is connected with this long-term community activity.

Visitors should keep in mind that the present church is a relatively modern church consecrated in 2001. Goheung Church is significant less as a church preserving medieval or early modern architectural heritage than as a place showing the growth of the Catholic community in Goheung since the 1950s and the community activities of a rural parish in the latter half of the 20th century.

When visiting the church for religious purposes, it should be remembered that it is a religious facility where Mass and liturgy take precedence. As Mass times may change with the season and pastoral circumstances, it is safest to check the parish guide of the Archdiocese of Gwangju or to contact Goheung Church directly. When looking around the interior of the sanctuary or taking photographs, it is appropriate to do so without disturbing Mass, confession, private prayer and the like.

Related Places and People

Jeojeondong Church (former Suncheon Parish) is directly connected with the early history of Goheung Catholic mission chapel. In the mid-1950s when the faithful community in Goheung was forming, Goheung was under the jurisdiction of Suncheon Parish, and Goheung Catholic mission chapel also began within this relationship. Regional Catholic history materials published by Suncheon City also confirm the line in which Goheung Catholic mission chapel established in 1956 developed into a parish in 1970.

Beolgyo Church holds an important place in the history before Goheung Catholic mission chapel was raised to a parish. Jurisdiction over Goheung Catholic mission chapel was transferred from Suncheon Parish to Beolgyo Parish in 1958, and the mission chapel secured land and built facilities with the support of Beolgyo parish priests. Goheung Parish was later separated from Beolgyo Parish and grew into an independent parish.

Gwajeok Catholic mission chapel is a mission chapel connected with Catholic history in the Goheung area. The Archdiocese of Gwangju’s current mission-chapel guide lists Gwajeok Catholic mission chapel as belonging to Goheung Parish, recording its date of establishment as January 1, 1965. Its address is 24-29 Songhaksaem-gil, Gwajeok-myeon, Goheung-gun. Gwajeok Catholic mission chapel is an important place for understanding the formation of faith communities in the northeastern part of Goheung-gun and the regional ministry of Goheung Parish.

Nokdong Church is a parish that separated from Goheung Parish and grew. Nokdong Catholic mission chapel developed under Goheung Parish and was raised to an independent parish in December 1980. The relationship between Goheung Parish and Nokdong Parish thus shows the process by which the Catholic community in Goheung-gun branched from one central parish into regional parishes.

Dohwa Church is also related to the regional mission of Goheung Parish. According to church-history materials related to the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society, Dohwa Catholic mission chapel was formed as missionaries celebrated Mass in the Dohwa area then under Goheung Parish, and it later developed into an independent parish.

Several foreign missionaries were involved in the early growth of Goheung Parish. Father Morrissey (M. Morrissey, Michael Mo) and Father O’Leary (A. O’Leary, Andrea Oh) of Beolgyo Parish helped with Mass and land provision for the Goheung community in the mission-chapel days. Around the elevation to parish status, priests of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society ministered in the Goheung area.

Among them, Father Francis Min (Francisco Arriaga Méndez, 1926–2022) is a missionary of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society deeply connected with Goheung Parish history. The Archdiocese of Gwangju records that he was dispatched to Korea in 1964 and ministered in several parishes including Sorokdo, Beolgyo, Goheung, Gurye, Seonwon-dong, Maegok-dong, Ssangchon-dong, Singi-dong and Dohwa. Father Min later ministered for a long time in the Dohwa area of Goheung-gun and died in Mexico in 2022.

Archbishop Choi Chang-mu was the then Archbishop of Gwangju who presided at the dedication Mass of the present Goheung Church on April 23, 2001. Archbishop Kim Hee-joong presided at the Mass of thanksgiving for the 50th anniversary of Goheung Parish’s establishment on May 17, 2020, commemorating a half-century of the parish’s history.

References and Sources

Among the materials below, materials of the diocese, the Bishops’ Conference and the Research Foundation for Korean Church History were used as basic materials, and contemporary reports of the Catholic Newspaper and the Catholic Peace Newspaper were cross-used to confirm the chronology. Personal blogs or architectural descriptions with unclear sources were not used as grounds for the main text.

1. Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju, “Goheung Church” parish guide
   • District, patron saint, address, contact and current parish information confirmed.
   • Lists December 24, 1970 as the date of establishment.
   • https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/church/parish/view/31057
2. Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, “Korean Catholic Directory – Goheung”
   • Official directory information such as belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju, address, religious congregation and patron saint confirmed.
   • Lists December 4, 1970 as the date of establishment.
   • https://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001115&gubun=4
3. Research Foundation for Korean Church History, “Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism – Goheung Parish”
   • Formation of Goheung Catholic mission chapel in the 1950s, land purchase, construction of a hall and a rectory in 1965, elevation to parish, early successive priests and facility expansion confirmed.
   • Records January 1, 1971 as the date of parish establishment.
   • https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/374
4. Catholic Newspaper, “Goheung Parish of Gwangju Archdiocese 50th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass,” May 20, 2020
   • Establishment of Goheung Catholic mission chapel in 1956, transfer to Beolgyo Parish in 1958, construction of church and rectory in 1965, elevation to parish in December 1970 and 50th anniversary event confirmed.
   • Republished Catholic Good News article: https://photo.catholic.or.kr/bbs/newsView.asp?id=162073
5. Catholic Newspaper, “[New Church Dedication] Goheung Parish of Gwangju Archdiocese,” April 29, 2001
   • Dedication on April 23, 2001, Archbishop Choi Chang-mu presiding, site and total floor area, facility composition, construction cost and egg-shaped Resurrection symbolism confirmed.
   • https://www.catholictimes.org/article/200104290241292
6. Catholic Newspaper, “[Special Feature ‘Let Us Eat Our Food Ourselves’] Yuja Tea of Goheung Parish, Jeonnam,” January 26, 1997
   • Yuja tea production begun in 1991, purpose of raising church-building funds, parishioner participation, scale of profits and production from 1991 to 1996 confirmed.
   • https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201104120002751
7. Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju, “Gwajeok Catholic Mission Chapel” guide
   • Belonging to Goheung Parish, and date of establishment and address of Gwajeok Catholic mission chapel confirmed.
   • https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/church/statio/view/31139
8. Catholic Peace Broadcasting and Peace Newspaper, “Today in History – New Establishment of Nokdong Parish, Archdiocese of Gwangju”
   • Incorporation of Nokdong Catholic mission chapel into Goheung Parish and process of separation and new establishment as Nokdong Parish on December 12, 1980 confirmed.
   • https://www-old.cpbc.co.kr/CMS/catholic/view_sosa.php?ID=1024
9. Catholic Peace Newspaper, materials related to “50th Anniversary of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society’s Entry into Korea”
   • Formation of Dohwa Catholic mission chapel under Goheung Parish and regional mission activity of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society confirmed.
   • https://bbs.catholic.or.kr/pdsm/bbs_view.asp?id=129384&menu=4824
10. Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju, “Death of Father Francis Min of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society,” June 8, 2022
    • Korea dispatch and pastoral history in the Archdiocese of Gwangju including Goheung and Dohwa of Father Francisco Arriaga Méndez confirmed.
    • https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/nota/arch/3117?page=8