Jangheung Catholic Church

Overview

Jangheung Church is a church in Geonsan-ri, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do, belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju. It began in 1961 as the Jangheung Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Gangjin Parish, was separated from Gangjin Parish on December 31, 1965 to become a parish, and its patron saint is Saint Elizabeth. Its first pastor was Father Campion (Pa Rahullin) of the Missionary Society of St. Columban.

History

[Mission Chapel Era] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that around 1961, Father Richard (Bang), the first pastor of Gangjin Parish, devoted himself to expanding the Church in neighboring areas, traveling back and forth to Jangheung-eup, and celebrated Mass at the house of Francis, a believer of the local Association for the Deceased. Father Richard frequently dispatched Park Gyun-hong (Bonaventura), the chief catechist of Gangjin Parish, to Jangheung-eup to guide the faithful and to gather catechumens and teach them doctrine. When the number of faithful reached about 30, his successor Father Carroll (No) established the Jangheung Catholic mission chapel in Namdong-ri, Jangheung-eup, and dispatched Lee Gwi-rye (Marcella) as chief catechist to reside there. Afterwards, due to leasing problems with the mission chapel building, the community moved 5 to 6 times, celebrating Sunday Mass in different places. The Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia gives January 20, 1961 as the date of establishment of the Jangheung mission chapel.

[Parish Establishment] As the number of faithful grew, the diocese moved to establish a parish in Jangheung, purchasing 1,188 pyeong of church land at lot 740-1, Geonsan-ri, Jangheung-eup in 1964, and in December 1965 the Jangheung Catholic mission chapel was raised to a parish, and Father Campion took office as its first pastor (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The date of establishment is December 31, 1965 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia). The Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia records that Father Campion (Loughlin Campion) was ordained a priest in December 1954, first set foot in Korea in November 1955, and stayed in the Archdiocese of Gwangju until 2002 before returning to Ireland.

[Early Construction and Mission Chapels] Father Campion newly built a rectory (41 pyeong) and a church (53 pyeong) on the purchased land and designated Saint Elizabeth as patron saint. For faithful living far away, he purchased 106 pyeong of land at lot 355, Okdang-ri, Gwansan-myeon, and established the Gwansan Catholic mission chapel with a size of 20 pyeong. Under Father Campion’s pastoral care, the number of baptized faithful in the parish grew to 290 over 5 years, establishing the foundation of the parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[The 1970s] The 3 pastor, Father Gomley (Go) Michael, installed 20 biers in the parish in 1971 with the help of the faithful. In March 1972, the parish purchased 131 pyeong of land at lot 348, Sinwol-ri, Daedeok-myeon, and established the Daedeok Catholic mission chapel with a size of 61 pyeong. The 5 pastor, Father Monaghan (Min) Dionysius, installed 10 biers in the Gwansan Catholic mission chapel in October 1977 with a donation from Serena Kim, a faithful of the mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[The 1980s] The 8 pastor, Father Sweeney (Seo) Guglielmo, started small group meetings for the first time in Dongdong-ri and Namdong-ri on May 24, 1982, and on June 28 also started them in Giyang-ri, Yeyang-ri, Namoe-ri, and Sunji-ri. As the number of faithful grew and the church became too small, an expansion plan was drawn up on June 15, 1983, and with 250 ten thousand won raised by the faithful and 500 ten thousand won in support funds from the Missionary Society of St. Columban, the interior structure of the church was altered and expanded and an infant room was newly created. Construction of a catechesis room with 2 bays (23 pyeong) began on February 3, 1984 and was completed on April 28. The 9 pastor, Father Royer (No) Francis, carried out cleanup of the parish grounds in June 1985 with the cooperation of the county office, held a youth sports festival for 6 counties in Jangheung in August of the same year, and held a Holy Spirit Renewal seminar. In February 1987, sisters were dispatched to the parish for the first time from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Our Lady of Mirinae. The 10 pastor, Father Dolan, newly established the Jangdong Catholic mission chapel in 1988 and newly built the catechesis room of the Daedeok Catholic mission chapel (all of the above from the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia gives June 1985 as the date of establishment of the Jangdong mission chapel, differing by source.

[The 1990s to 2000s] The 11 pastor, Father Gallagher (Gal) Guglielmo, completed the parish expansion and the construction of a new office in May 1992 and erected a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June. The 12 pastor, Father Kim Chang-geun Michael, began repair work on the parish and the rectory and construction of a new education hall at the convent on April 10, 1994, finished it in August, and held a blessing ceremony for the education hall and the convent in November. The 13 pastor, Father Kim Jong-dae Andrea, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Daedeok Catholic mission chapel in June 2000, and the 14 pastor, Father Hwang Gyu-yeol Paul, held its blessing ceremony in May 2001. The encyclopedia notes that at that time the parish was focusing on pastoral activities centered on the “Lost Sheep Finding Campaign” and small Christian communities.

[New Church Construction and Present Status] The Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia records that the parish building expanded in May 1992 and the newly built office were used until spring 2020, and that a dedication ceremony was held in October 2020 to mark the construction of the new church. In addition to celebrating Mass, Jangheung Church continues volunteer activities for inmates of Jangheung Prison, and as of 2025 it has 1,290 faithful. It has jurisdiction over the Anyang mission chapel (established in December 2008, closed), the Yuchi mission chapel (established in December 2009, minimal activity), the Jangdong mission chapel (established in June 1985), and the Jangpyeong mission chapel (established in February 2008 with a newly built church building, education hall, and lodging), and except for the Jangpyeong mission chapel, the other three have been closed or have minimal activity. As liturgies were integrated into the Jangpyeong mission chapel in 2012, the number of faithful at the Jangdong mission chapel declined sharply.

[Church Statistics and Successive Pastors] The church statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 208 in 1969, 318 in 1974, 465 in 1980, 737 in 1985, 764 in 1990, 1,097 in 1995, and 1,404 in 2001. The jurisdictional area recorded in the encyclopedia is Jangheung-eup, Gwansan-eup, Daedeok-eup, Yuchi-myeon, Jangpyeong-myeon, Jangdong-myeon, Yongsan-myeon, and Anyang-myeon, and the mission chapels under its jurisdiction are Jangdong, Gwansan, and Daedeok. The successive priests are the first, Campion (Pa) Rahullin (1965.12~1969.10), the 2 Doherty (Hong) John (1969.10~1971.4), the 3 Gomley (Go) Michael (1971.4~1972.5), the 4 Dolan (Do) Joseph (1972.5~1974.10), the 5 Monaghan (Min) Dionysius (1974.10~1978.7), the 6 Burke (Bu Seon-yong) Martin (1978.7~1981.1), the 7 Nallen (Na) Michael (1981.1~1982.1), the 8 Sweeney (Seo) Guglielmo (1982.1~1984.4), the 9 Royer (No) Francis (1984.4~1987.10), the 10 Dolan (1987.10~1990.8), the 11 Gallagher (Gal) Guglielmo (1990.8~1993.2), the 12 Kim Chang-geun Michael (1993.2~1996.11), the 13 Kim Jong-dae Andrea (1996.11~2000.8), and the 14 Hwang Gyu-yeol Paul (2000.8~present) (based on the time the encyclopedia was compiled).

Architecture and Space

The present church, whose dedication ceremony was held in October 2020, consists of 2 buildings, including a church with 1 floors and catechesis rooms, offices, a hall, and a rectory with 2 floors (Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia).

Of what Father Campion newly built at the time of establishment in 1965, the church was 53 pyeong and the rectory was 41 pyeong (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

Related Places and People

• Gangjin Parish: The mother parish to which the Jangheung Catholic mission chapel belonged, and on December 31, 1965 Jangheung Parish was separated from this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia).
• Gwansan Catholic mission chapel and Daedeok Catholic mission chapel: Father Campion secured land in Okdang-ri to establish the Gwansan mission chapel, and land was secured in Sinwol-ri in March 1972 to establish the Daedeok mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Jangpyeong, Jangdong, Yuchi, and Anyang mission chapels: As of 2025, the mission chapels under the jurisdiction of Jangheung Church (Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia).
• Missionary Society of St. Columban: The missionary society to which the first pastor, Father Campion, belonged, and in 1983 500 ten thousand won in support funds from this society was used for the interior expansion of the church (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Jangheung Parish” (Volume 10). Established on December 31, 1965 by separation from Gangjin Parish; mission chapel era and purchase of parish land; projects by successive pastors; church statistics; jurisdictional area and mission chapels; successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5380
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Jangheung Culture Encyclopedia “Jangheung Church”. Establishment of the Jangheung mission chapel on January 20, 1961; founding of the parish on December 31, 1965; first priest; expansion in 1992 and dedication of the new building in October 2020; current status and mission chapels.
   https://www.grandculture.net/jangheung/toc/GC09701087