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About this place
Gwangyang Catholic Church is a parish church of the Archdiocese of Gwangju in Gwangyang-eup, Gwangyang, within the Suncheon area of the archdiocese. The archdiocese records October 29, 1975 as the establishment date and names St. Paul the Apostle as the parish patron. Today it is the local center for Mass, the sacraments, catechesis, and parish community life in Gwangyang-eup and the surrounding area.
Catholic community life in Gwangyang began well before the parish was established. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a mission station was formed in Gwangyang in 1931, and after several periods of reorganization a mission chapel was built in 1958. During the 1960s priests of the Missionaries of Guadalupe regularly celebrated Mass for the community, and the growing mission was elevated to an independent parish in 1975.
This history shows that Gwangyang Catholic Church was not simply a new parish created in the 1970s, but a community that developed out of decades of mission-station life and missionary care. The present church carries the continuity of a local Catholic community sustained across several generations.
History & origins
Catholic life in Gwangyang began decades before the parish itself was established. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a mission station was organized in Chilseong-ri in 1931. After periods of interruption and renewal, the mission was reestablished in the home of Park Hyeon-su in 1954. The community secured land that included the present church site in 1956 and built a mission chapel in 1958.
From 1965, priests of the Missionaries of Guadalupe regularly celebrated Mass and cared for the community. As the number of Catholics increased, the mission developed the foundation needed for parish status, and on October 29, 1975 it was elevated to an independent parish. This marked the transition from decades of mission-station life to an established parish community.
The church and pastoral facilities continued to develop after the parish was founded. The encyclopedia records that the former mission building was converted into a parish church in 1981 and enlarged again in 1985. Continued population and community growth later also provided the setting from which other parishes in the Gwangyang area were formed.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Gwangyang 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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Building information
- Passenger elevators: 0
- 3 above-ground floors · 0 below-ground floors
- Approved for use in 1991
- Total floor area: 1,483㎡
Building-register record · · Source
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Sources and updates
- Information Status
- Official
- Source
- Diocese source
- Data freshness
- Fresh
- Last updated
- Source
- Francisco Diary
Diocese
Gwangju Archdiocese (Archdiocese of Gwangju)
Official website: https://www.gjcatholic.or.kr/
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