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About this place
Gwangcheon-dong Catholic Church is a parish church of the Archdiocese of Gwangju in Gwangcheon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, within the western Gwangju area of the archdiocese. The archdiocese records November 16, 1970 as the establishment date and names St. Joseph as the parish patron.
The local Catholic community grew together with the formation of a refugee settlement in Gwangcheon-dong after the Korean War. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholics who had come from the northern part of Korea began gathering in the form of a mission community, and with pastoral support from Bukdong Parish they secured land and a mission building. The community came under Imdong Parish in 1968 and, as the number of Catholics increased, was elevated to an independent parish in 1970.
Gwangcheon-dong Catholic Church thus reflects the way a faith community took root within a new urban neighborhood formed after the war. It remains an active parish for Mass, the sacraments, catechesis, and community life, while preserving a chapter of local Catholic history shaped by migration, settlement, and modern Gwangju.
History & origins
The Catholic community in Gwangcheon-dong took root in the refugee settlement that formed there after the Korean War. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholics who had come from the northern part of Korea gathered in Gwangcheon-dong and began their religious life in the form of a mission community. With pastoral support from Bukdong Parish, they secured land and a building for the mission.
In 1968 the community came under the jurisdiction of the newly established Imdong Parish. As the number of Catholics increased, the need for an independent parish became clear. The current Archdiocese of Gwangju record and the body of the encyclopedia entry both give November 16, 1970 as the establishment date of Gwangcheon-dong Parish. A church and rectory were completed on December 1, 1971, providing a stable base for parish life.
Continued growth led to the separation of Unam Parish from Gwangcheon-dong in 1980. The history of Gwangcheon-dong Parish shows how a small faith community born amid postwar migration and settlement became an independent parish and later contributed to the formation of another local parish.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Gwangcheon-dong Catholic Church: history and architecture
Read about the place's history, architecture, people, and events in the Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia articles are currently available in Korean.
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- Last updated
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- Francisco Diary
Diocese
Gwangju Archdiocese (Archdiocese of Gwangju)
Official website: https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/
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