Gokseong Catholic Church

Overview

Gokseong Church is a church in Gokseong-eup, Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, it was established as a parish on April 6, 1958, and church construction was pursued when there were only about 10 believers, after the view that a parish should be established in this home of martyrs had long been raised.

History

〔Introduction of Catholicism〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholicism in the Gokseong area began when believers from Gyeongsang-do and Gangwon-do fled to Misan-ri and Seungbeop-ri, Ogok-myeon, Gokseong-gun, to escape the Eulhae Persecution (1815). They lived firing earthenware to earn a living and hide their status, but in 1827 renewed suppression in the Jeonghae Persecution reduced these believer villages to ruins. The encyclopedia records that most believers apostatized at that time, but Magdalena Yi, sister of Paul Yi of Janggye, and Seongji Yi, baptismal name John, kept the faith to the end and were martyred. It states that the later state of the Gospel in the Gokseong area is unknown.

〔Establishment of the parish〕 The encyclopedia records that around 1950 the Diocese of Gwangju decided to establish a parish here, and Father M. Healy, Heo Michael, deputy of the diocesan administrator, examined local conditions and promoted church construction. Although there were only about 10 local believers at the time, construction was pursued because the view that a parish should be established in this home of martyrs had long been raised. Construction advanced rapidly when Lee Jeong-jae, then principal of Munjeong Middle School, donated about 1,000 pyeong of his own land inside the school to the Church and made a large donation, and the church was begun on April 1958 and the parish was established at the same time.

〔Completion of the church and facilities〕 According to the encyclopedia, the church was completed on July in the year the parish was founded and the dedication ceremony was held on October. In the time of the 2 pastor, Father Romano Kim Jong-nam, additional land of about 1,300 pyeong was purchased on March 1962, a statue of Our Lady was unveiled on August 1964, a convent was newly built on September 1967, and a grotto-type statue of Our Lady was erected in 1986. Believers also devoted themselves to building new Catholic mission chapel buildings, building the hall of the Okkwa Catholic mission chapel on December 1958 and building the hall of the Seokgok Catholic mission chapel in 1984.

〔Finances and activities〕 The encyclopedia states that from the beginning self-support was difficult because of local poverty so it received financial support from the diocesan authorities, and finances became still more difficult when the Gurye parish was separated in 1970, the parish achieving financial self-reliance only after 1987, and the Seokgok Catholic mission chapel also achieving financial self-reliance the following year. After a period of stagnation, from 1982 believers united around the 8 head priest, Father John Park Hui-dong, and devoted themselves to repairing the church, building a new rectory, and missionary activity. After the appointment of the 9 head priest, Father Matthew Kim Seo-gyu, they concentrated on revitalizing groups by resuming small-group meetings and organizing a Scripture study group and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, so the number of believers grew, and they reorganized the credit union on September 1986. After the appointment of the 10 head priest, Father Moses Lee Jun-hyeong, they also joined social democratization, founding the Catholic Farmers Association Gokseong branch on July 1987. As a result the younger age group especially grew strong, and the Sacred Heart Association, the Charity Association, the Marian Association, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Vocations Support Association, the Youth Group, the Student Group, the Teachers Group, the Choir, and the Legion of Mary were founded and active, according to the encyclopedia.

〔Church strength and jurisdiction〕 The church strength recorded in the encyclopedia is, in 1958, 10 people, in 1961, 197 people, in 1966, 487 people, in 1970, 578 people, in 1976, 584 people, in 1981, 633 people, in 1988, 902 people, and in 1993, 1,197 people. Its jurisdiction is the whole Gokseong-gun area, and its affiliated Catholic mission chapels are recorded as 2 places: Okkwa, Okkwa-myeon, and Seokgok, Seokgok-myeon. The Korean Catholic Bishops Conference directory currently records the parish as belonging to the Gwangju North 1 district, with foundation date August 15, 1958, affiliated sisters the Sisters of Notre Dame, and patron Our Lady of the Rosary, Blessed Virgin Mary. The encyclopedia records foundation date as April 6, 1958 and patron as ‘Virgin Mother,’ differing from the directory.

〔Successive head priests〕 The successive priests recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first, Vincent Carroll, V. Carroll, No (1958.4~1962.2), the 2 Romano Kim Jong-nam (1962.3~1967.1), the 3 Jesus Alba Jaime, J. A. Jaime, Myeong (1967.1~1969.3), the 4 John Torres, J. R. Torres, Yi (1969.3~1972.9), the 5 Maurilio Franco, M. Franco, Kim (1972.9~1975.7), the 6 Hilario Lee Jae-heung (1975.7~1978.3), the 7 Francisco Jeong Cheol-su (1978.3~1982.2), the 8 John Park Hui-dong (1982.2~1985.6), the 9 Matthew Kim Seo-gyu (1985.6~1987.2), the 10 Moses Lee Jun-hyeong (1987.2~1990.1), the 11 Marco Lee Jae-sul (1990.1~1991.2), the 12 Chrysostom Jeong Gyeong-su (1991.2~1994.2), and the 13 Columban Lee Yeong-seon (1994.2~present at the time of writing the encyclopedia).

Architecture and space

According to the encyclopedia, the church was begun on April 1958, completed on July, and the dedication ceremony was held on October. Afterwards, additional land of about 1,300 pyeong was purchased on March 1962, a statue of Our Lady was unveiled on August 1964, a convent was newly built on September 1967, and a grotto-type statue of Our Lady was erected in 1986.

Related places and people

• Misan-ri and Seungbeop-ri believer villages: villages in Ogok-myeon, Gokseong-gun, where believers from Gyeongsang-do and Gangwon-do fled to escape the Eulhae Persecution (1815) and lived firing earthenware, ruined in the Jeonghae Persecution in 1827 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Okkwa Catholic mission chapel and Seokgok Catholic mission chapel: Catholic mission chapels belonging to the parish; the Okkwa Catholic mission chapel hall was built on December 1958, and the Seokgok Catholic mission chapel hall was built in 1984 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Gurye parish: separated from Gokseong parish in 1970 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Lee Jeong-jae: principal of Munjeong Middle School who led church construction by donating about 1,000 pyeong of his own land inside the school to the Church and making a large donation (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Catholic History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Gokseong Parish” (Diocese of Gwangju, Vol. 1). Introduction of Catholicism, background of parish establishment, completion and dedication of the church in 1958, process of financial self-reliance, devotional groups, church strength, jurisdiction, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/376
2. Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Gokseong” (Archdiocese of Gwangju). Foundation date 1958.08.15, patron Our Lady of the Rosary, Blessed Virgin Mary, Sisters of Notre Dame, Gwangju North 1 district.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001116&gubun=4