Honam-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Honam-dong Church is a church in Honam-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, affiliated with the Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, it was separated from Namdong Church in 1968 and established as the 7th parish founded in Gwangju Metropolitan City. It is recorded as a place associated with testimony of witnessing helicopter gunfire during the 5·18 Democratization Movement in 1980.

History

The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia explains that Honam-dong Church was established to preach the Gospel centered on Honam-dong to Bullo-dong, Hwanggeum-dong, Sa-dong, Gu-dong, Sugi-dong, Chungjang-ro 1-ga to 5-ga, the Geumnam-ro 3-ga to 4-ga area, Gung-dong, Daein-dong, and parts of Geumnam-ro 1-ga, 2-ga and 5-ga. As the Catholic population in the Honam-dong area grew and the establishment of a parish in the center of Gwangju was requested, Harold Hyun, then head of the Diocese of Gwangju, received support for purchase and construction costs from his friend Orion and purchased the site for the Honam-dong Catholic Church in November 1963. The parish was completed on December 25, 1967, and after receiving formal approval for establishment on January 18, 1968, the first Mass was offered on January 21. Father Gregory Yu was appointed as the first parish priest.

The Gwangju Culture, Arts and Humanities Story Platform also states that the church building was completed on December 25, 1967 and was separated from the Namdong Parish in Gwangju and established on January 18, 1968. This source records that the first pastor was Father Gregory Hughes and the patron saint was Saint Patrick, and that the church building was remodeled in 2008.

According to the Catholic Newspaper, Honam-dong Parish celebrated a commemorative Mass on May 20, 2018, presided over by Archbishop Kim Hee-jung of the diocese, marking the 50th anniversary of its founding. At the celebration, the parish presented plaques of appreciation to groups that had worked for the development of the parish, and offered the long-term organ-donation pledge forms registered by 54 parishioners and the parish community vehicle prepared together by all the faithful. The same article reported that Honam-dong Parish had been founded in 1968 as the 7th parish in downtown Gwangju, and had shown the character of an open community by taking advantage of the area’s large youth population to tear down the church wall and operate Cafe Hesed (HESED).

Religious Significance and Context for Visiting

According to the Gwangju Culture, Arts and Humanities Story Platform, just before the mass shooting at the Jeonnam Provincial Office on Geumnam-ro on May 21, 1980, Catholic priests gathered at Honam-dong Church, hung a banner urging them not to shoot citizens, and tried by telephone to stop the firing, but did not succeed. The same source states that Father Cho Bi-o of Honam-dong Church and the secretary general of the lay apostolate testified that they witnessed a helicopter maneuvering low over the Bullo-dong area firing indiscriminately toward Gwangju Park. The Hankyoreh recounts the story of Mr. Lee Gwang-jung, who testified that Father Cho Bi-o urgently called him and he went to the entrance of Honam-dong Church on May 21. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia evaluates Honam-dong Church as having historical significance as the 7th parish founded in Gwangju and as a site of witnessing helicopter gunfire during 5·18.

Related Places and People

• Namdong Church - the parish from which Honam-dong Church was separated in 1968.
• Harold Hyun - then head of the Diocese of Gwangju who led the purchase of the Honam-dong site.
• Father Gregory Yu (Hughes) - the first parish priest of Honam-dong Church.
• Father Cho Bi-o - the priest introduced as having testified to witnessing helicopter gunfire at Honam-dong Church during the 5·18 Democratization Movement.

References and Sources

1. Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, Honam-dong Church. Verified the background of the founding and the site purchase, completion in 1967 and approval of establishment in 1968, the first priest, the order in Gwangju and the significance related to 5·18.
   https://gwangju.grandculture.net/gwangju/toc/GC60003284
2. Gwangju Culture, Arts and Humanities Story Platform, Honam-dong Church. Verified the completion and establishment dates, the first pastor and patron saint, remodeling in 2008, the events just before May 21, 1980 and the testimony of witnessing helicopter gunfire.
   https://dh.aks.ac.kr/~gwangju/wiki/index.php/%ED%98%B8%EB%82%A8%EB%8F%99%EC%84%B1%EB%8B%B9
3. Catholic Newspaper, Gwangju Honam-dong Parish 50th Anniversary Mass. Verified the 50th anniversary Mass on May 20, 2018 and parish activities.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/article_view.php?aid=295267
4. Hankyoreh, Rat-a-tat Gunfire Toward Gwangju Stream: Testimony of Father Cho Bi-o Witnessing Helicopter Shooting. Verified the testimony at the entrance of Honam-dong Church on May 21, 1980.
   https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/area/honam/912301.html