Ssangchondong Catholic Church

Overview

Ssangchon-dong Church is a church in Ssangchon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, it was separated from Nongseong-dong Parish and established as a parish on January 31, 1981, and the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records the parish patron as Mary conceived without original sin.

History

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in the late 1970s, as apartment complexes continued to be built in the area under Nongseong-dong Parish and the population grew, Father O’Neill (N. Ó Neill, Cheon), the first pastor of Nongseong-dong Parish, drew up a plan to establish a new parish. The diocese purchased a site at lot 955 in Ssangchon-dong in June 1974, but as a road was to be built through the site, it sold the land and instead purchased 435 pyeong of land at the present church site in November 1979. Construction began in April of the following year, and in December 1980 a church with a floor area of 116 pyeong was completed and a dedication ceremony was held. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia also records that on December 7, 1980, the completion ceremony for Ssangchon-dong Parish was held with Bishop Yun Gong-hui officiating.

In January 1981, Ssangchon-dong Parish was established upon receiving the transfer of parish registers for 190 households and 598 people from Nongseong-dong Parish, and Father Dionysio Monaghan (D. Monaghan, Min) took office as the first pastor. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Monaghan organized a parish apostolate association and established institutional arrangements to enable parishioners to participate actively in parish administration, and in early April 1981, with the cooperation of the Sisters of Charity of Seton, began catechism for catechumens, and in late April began construction of a 2-story building (60 pyeong) to be used as a rectory and catechism classrooms, completing it in July. In February 1985, 43 pyeong of land at lot 959-19 in Ssangchon-dong was purchased as the site for a new rectory.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in February 1987, when Yeomju-dong Parish was divided off, parish registers for 157 households and 452 people were transferred out. The 6th pastor, Father Garza, as the number of believers continued to grow despite the division of the parish, drew up a plan for a new church building and raised funds by holding bazaars and other events, beginning construction in September 1989, and in July 1990, the following year, completed a church with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors and a floor area of 459 pyeong and held a dedication ceremony. In February 1990, a branch convent of the Sisters Oblates of the Assumption was established, and in September 1994, when Geumho-dong Parish was separated, parish registers for 263 households and 649 people were transferred out. Father Kim Mu-ung, who took office as the 8th pastor, purchased land sequentially from 1997 onward to expand the church, securing a site of 616 pyeong including the existing church land.

The parish statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are, in 1981, 853 people, in 1986, 2,829 people, in 1990, 3,789 people, in 1995, 3,969 people, and in 1999, 4,406 people. According to the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, this church was established to spread the Gospel centered on Ssangchon-dong and to parts of Naebang-dong, Hwajeong 1-dong, and Chipyeong-dong, and the congregation of sisters is recorded as the Sisters of Caritas of Jesus.

Related Places and People

• Nongseong-dong Church: the mother parish from which Ssangchon-dong Parish received the transfer of parish registers in 1981 and was separated and established.
• Yeomju-dong Church: the parish divided from Ssangchon-dong Parish in February 1987 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Geumho-dong Church: the parish separated from Ssangchon-dong Parish in September 1994 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

The successive pastors recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are as follows. First Dionysio Monaghan (D. Monaghan, Min) (1981.1~1983.4), 2th Dionysio Kearney (D. Kearney, Kang Dae-sik) (1983.4~8), 3th Gabriel Casillas (G. Casillas, Chu Gyu-ung) (1983.8~1984.5), 4th acting pastor Joseph Navaro (J. Navaro, Nam) (1984.5~1985.2), 5th Francisco Arriaga (F. Arriaga, Min) (1985.2~1987.12), 6th Ignacio Garza (I. Garza, U Jin-su) (1987.12~1992.5), 7th Joseph Sandoval (J. Sandoval, So) (1992.5~1996.1), 8th Julio Kim Mu-ung (1996.1~, listed as “present” in the encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Ssangchon-dong Parish.” Verified separation and establishment from Nongseong-dong Parish on January 31, 1981, patron, jurisdictional area, parish statistics, successive priests, land purchase and church construction and dedication, and division of Yeomju-dong and Geumho-dong Parishes.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4052
2. Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, “Ssangchon-dong Catholic Church.” Verified completion ceremony on December 7, 1980, separation and establishment from Nongseong-dong Parish on January 31, 1981, first pastor, jurisdictional area, and congregation of sisters.
   https://gwangju.grandculture.net/gwangju/toc/GC60003273