HaeNam Catholic Church

Overview

Haenam Church is a church in Haenam-eup, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju. On April 1, 1954, the Haenam Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish and established, with Father Kim Byeong-jun (John) as its first pastor. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records its patron as Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

History

〔Mission Chapel Period〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, around January 1950 Father Cusack (T. Cusack) of Sanjeong-dong Parish in Mokpo purchased land at the present Haenam Parish address and began evangelization, and Catholicism began to take root in the Haenam area, but when the Korean War broke out and Father Cusack was abducted by North Korean forces, evangelization stagnated. Through the efforts of Father Kim Seong-hwan (Victorio) of Gyeongdong Parish in Mokpo, the Haenam Catholic mission chapel was formally founded on July 1951, and later chief catechist Anna Kim was dispatched and the number of mission chapel faithful steadily increased. The Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia also records that on January 1950 Father Cusack of Sanjeong-dong Church in Mokpo purchased land in Seoseong-ri, Haenam-eup and began evangelization, and on July 1951 it was authorized as the Haenam mission chapel through the efforts of Father Kim Seong-hwan of Gyeongdong Church in Mokpo.

〔Parish Establishment〕 On January 1954 a thatched building and 23 pyeong of land were purchased, and on April 1 it was elevated to Haenam Parish, with Father Kim Byeong-jun taking office as its first pastor (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). On April 1954 Father Kim Byeong-jun incorporated the Yerak Catholic mission chapel, which had belonged to Gyeongdong Parish, into the parish through a jurisdictional readjustment (the Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia also records the incorporation of the Yerak mission chapel), and established the Wando mission chapel in Gunnae-ri, Wando-eup, Wando-gun, the Gangjin mission chapel in Pyeongdong-ri, Gangjin-eup, Gangjin-gun in 1955, and the Usuyeong mission chapel in Munnae-myeon, Haenam-gun around 1955–1956, vigorously carrying out mission-chapel-centered evangelization.

〔New Church Building and Separation of Daughter Parishes〕 As mission chapels were established in various places in its jurisdiction and the number of faithful grew, on April 1959 a church (111 pyeong) and a rectory (44 pyeong) were newly built. In the same year, on June, land of 200 pyeong and a hall (25 pyeong) in Namchang-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon were donated, and the Namchang mission chapel was established; on December 1960 land of 197 pyeong and a rectory house were purchased; and on January 1961 the first daughter parish, Gangjin Parish, was established and separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). Under the 2 pastor, Father McLaughlin, in 1962 a hall (30 pyeong) was newly built; under the 3 pastor, Father Gallagher, on May 1966 mission chapels including the Yeongjeon mission chapel in Bukpyeong-myeon were established, and in 1967 the interior and exterior of the church were improved and on August a statue of the Virgin Mary was erected. On April 1968 drainage facilities were installed in Namoe-ri, Haenam-eup and other areas. Under the 4 pastor, Father Park Sang-su, on August 1970 the Wando mission chapel was elevated to a parish and separated; under the 6 pastor, Father Jeong Hyeong-dal, on September 1973 a statue of the Virgin Mary was remade and enshrined; and under the 7 pastor, Father Kim Mu-ung, on June 1974 2 Sisters of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from Pohang were dispatched.

〔1980s–1990s〕 Under the 10 pastor, Father Jeon Yeong, on April 1980 and December land of the Yeongjeon mission chapel was purchased to expand the grounds, and on November 1981 a mission chapel (30 pyeong) and an annex building (18 pyeong) were newly built; on April 1982 about 4,500 pyeong of forest land in Namcheon-ri, Haenam-eup was purchased and developed as a church cemetery, and on May the church and the hall were repaired. Under the 11 pastor, Father Lee Cheon-su, on April 1985 a catechesis room for the Godang mission chapel was prepared and on December 1986 the Usuyeong mission chapel was repaired. Under the 14 pastor, Father Jo Yeong-dae, on June 1993 the church (46 pyeong) and rectory house (24 pyeong) of the Sanjeong mission chapel (Sanjeong-ri, Songji-myeon) were built and blessed, and on November 1994 a 3-story parish education center was newly built to provide a catechesis room, meeting rooms, and a rectory. Under the 15 pastor, Father Lee Ok-su, on July 1996 the blessing ceremony for the Godang mission chapel education center (55 pyeong) was held, and on February 5, 1999 the third daughter parish, Usuyeong Parish, was established and separated, with the Yerak mission chapel and others transferred to it (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

〔2000s〕 Under the 17 pastor, Father Kim Jae-gi, on January 2001 it was selected as the representative parish for the Gangjin-Haenam area at a meeting of priests of the Archdiocese of Gwangju (the Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia describes it as the representative parish for the southwestern Jeollanam-do area [Gangjin, Haenam, Jindo, and others]), and under the 18 pastor, Father Kim Gye-hong, in 2004 the ‘50 Anniversary Promotion Team’ was formed to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding and funds were raised. According to the Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia, the 50th anniversary events were carried out from February 5, 2004 to December 5. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that as of 2005 Haenam Parish was strengthening ties among the faithful through the ‘Amos (Amos) Movement’ and operating a Korean language class for foreigners once every 1 Sundays.

〔Activities and Present Status〕 The Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia records that in 2005 Haenam Church worked to strengthen ties by providing Sunday lunch and vehicles for faithful living outside the town, opened a Korean class and a health dance class for foreigners, delivered organic food to persons with disabilities, and carried out scholarship work for the children of Koryoin who came from Central Asia and settled in Korea. As of 2018, the faithful numbered about 2,700, and its affiliated mission chapels are recorded as 3 mission chapels at Ttangkkeut, Namchang, and Yeongjeon (the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists the affiliated mission chapels at the time of writing as 3 places at Namchang, Sanjeong, and Yeongjeon), and this source evaluates Haenam Church as the church representing the southwestern Jeonnam district of the Archdiocese of Gwangju.

〔Parish Statistics and Successive Pastors〕 The parish statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 371 in 1955, 1,228 in 1960, 1,529 in 1965, 1,642 in 1971, 1,849 in 1975, 1,877 in 1980, 1,989 in 1985, 2,549 in 1990, 3,051 in 1995, 2,528 in 2000, and 2,575 in 2005. Its jurisdiction is recorded as Haenam-eup, Samsan-myeon, Hwasan-myeon, Hyeonsan-myeon, Okcheon-myeon, Gyegok-myeon, Masan-myeon, and Sani-myeon. The successive priests are the first John Kim Byeong-jun (1954.4–1961.3), the 2 John McLaughlin (J. McLaughlin, Choi) (1961.3–1963.2), interim John Savage (J. Savage, Won) (1963.2–6), the 3 Guglielmo Gallagher (W. Gallagher, Gal) (1963.6–1969), the 4 Cosmas Park Sang-su (1969.4–1970.11), the 5 Augustine Kim Jae-yeong (1970.11–1972.4), the 6 Paul Jeong Hyeong-dal (1972.4–1974.4), the 7 Julius Kim Mu-ung (1974.4–1976.11), the 8 John Na Sang-taek (1976.11–1978.6), the 9 Thomas More Jeong Jong-pyo (1978.6–1980.1), the 10 Anthony Jeon Yeong (1980.1–1983.6), interim Joseph Gonzalez (J. González, Kim Je-in) (1983.8–1984.7), the 11 Lazarus Lee Cheon-su (1984.7–1987.1), the 12 Simon Im Byeong-tae (1987.1–1991.2), the 13 Gabriel O Gap-hyeon (1991.2–1992.4), the 14 Francis Jo Yeong-dae (1992.4–1996.2), the 15 Dominic Lee Ok-su (1996.2–2000.8), the 16 Paul Choe Hyeong-rak (2000.8–2001.1), the 17 Andrew Kim Jae-gi (2001.1–2003.9), and the 18 Chrysostom Kim Gye-hong (2003.9–) (as of the time of writing of the encyclopedia).

Related Places and People

• Gangjin Parish: On January 1961 it became the first daughter parish separated from Haenam Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Wando Parish: On August 1970 the Wando mission chapel under Haenam Parish was elevated to a parish and separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Usuyeong Parish: Established and separated on February 5, 1999 as the third daughter parish, to which the Yerak mission chapel and others were transferred (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia has a separate entry Usuyeong Church.
• Yerak Mission Chapel: On April 1954 it was transferred from Gyeongdong Parish to Haenam Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia).
• Father Cusack (T. Cusack) and Father Kim Seong-hwan (Victorio): priests in the Mokpo area involved respectively in land purchase and evangelization in 1950 and in the founding of the Haenam mission chapel in 1951 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Haenam Parish”. Start of evangelization in 1950, founding of mission chapel in 1951, elevation to parish in 1954, new church building in 1959, separation of daughter parishes, parish statistics and successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/6841
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Haenam Culture Encyclopedia “Haenam Church”. Founded on April 1, 1954, founder Father Kim Byeong-jun, new church building and creation of cemetery, 50th anniversary events in 2004, status in 2018.
   https://www.grandculture.net/haenam/toc/GC07300938