Weekly Mass Schedule
Korean
Select a Mass time to view sources or report a change.
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 that it is the parish currently serving the Nampyeong area and that its patron is St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Its most important present identity is that of an ordinary local parish where Catholics continue their life of Mass, the sacraments, catechesis, and community.
Nampyeong did not emerge as a community at a single moment; it developed from a local mission community once under the care of Naju Parish and later became an independent parish. The detailed chronology is therefore treated in the history section by distinguishing the formation of the mission station from the later elevation of the parish. For an introduction to the place, its current parish affiliation, patronage, and local pastoral role are the clearest points of reference.
History & origins
A stable Catholic mission community in Nampyeong took shape in the mid-1950s under the pastoral care of Naju Parish. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholics in Nampyeong were traveling a considerable distance to attend Sunday Mass at Naju, and Fr. Kim Chang-hyeon, then pastor of Naju, began actively organizing a mission station in March 1955. In August of that year a small tin-roofed building and a large plot of land were acquired in Dongsa-ri, Nampyeong, and a catechist was sent there. In 1957 the mission building and residence were enlarged, giving the community a more stable base.
In October 1969, Fr. Jang Ok-seok, then pastor of Naju, enlarged the red-brick church building in Nampyeong, which was blessed by Archbishop Harold Henry. During this period the nearby Deokrye-ri and Hohyeweon mission communities had also developed, and several Catholic communities in the Naju area were growing in connection with one another.
On December 5, 1971, Nampyeong Mission Station, together with the Deokrye-ri and Hohyeweon missions, was elevated to a parish and separated from Naju Parish. In 1982, when there was no successor to the departing pastor, Nampyeong temporarily returned to the status of a mission under Naju Parish. Parish life resumed with the appointment of a pastor in April 1983, and a convent was completed in 1986, allowing women religious to assist in pastoral work.
Sources use different dates for the parish’s “establishment.” The current Archdiocese of Gwangju page lists August 1, 1955, while the Catholic Church Directory in Korea and the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia give December 5, 1971 as the date of parish establishment or elevation. Read together with the historical narrative, 1955 marks the formation of the Nampyeong mission base, while 1971 marks its elevation as an independent parish. Distinguishing these two stages most faithfully reflects the available evidence.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Nampyeong 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.
Would you like to record this place in your pilgrimage passport?
Sign in to keep this record with you.
Accessibility information
- Entrance rampAvailableOfficial source checked August 24, 2026 · Source
Some accessibility details are unavailable. Please check with the location before visiting.
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/
Help verify information
Did the Mass schedule or church information change?
Let us know if you confirmed the displayed information or noticed something different.
Information Status: Official source
Check facility information
Sign in to leave a visitor check.
Sign in to confirm the schedule or report a change.
Reports are saved for review. Mass times are changed after evidence such as official sources is checked, not automatically based on visitor confirmations.