남평 성당

About this place

Nampyeong Catholic Church is a parish church of the Archdiocese of Gwangju in Nampyeong-eup, Naju, within the Naju-Hampyeong district. Both the archdiocese and the Catholic Church Directory in Korea confirm the same address and the patronage of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. It is the local center where Catholics in Nampyeong gather for Mass, the sacraments, catechesis, and parish life.

The Catholic community in the area developed from a mission community under Naju Parish in the mid-1950s. The history of Naju Parish in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the national Catholic directory indicate that Nampyeong became a separate parish in 1971. The current archdiocesan page, however, lists August 1, 1955 as the establishment date, suggesting that the sources use different points in the community's development when identifying its beginning.

The safest way to understand Nampyeong Catholic Church is therefore as a community whose roots were established in the 1950s and which later matured into an independent parish. Although the exact establishment date differs by source, its historical connection with Naju Parish and its present identity under the patronage of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus are clear.

Official source