Wondong Catholic Church

Overview

Wondong Church is a church in Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, belonging to the Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, it was established on June 18, 1949, when the Songjeong-ri Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish; it was first called Songjeong-ri Parish and was renamed Wondong Parish in April 1965. The patron of the parish is St. Joseph.

History

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Wondong Parish area was sown with the seeds of the Gospel in 1914, when the Honam Line opened and people gathered in Songjeong-ri. In June 1925, the Songjeong-ri Catholic mission chapel belonging to Noan Parish was established, and in 1937, it became a Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Bukdong Parish and newly built a meeting hall at 943-1 Dosan-ri, Songjeong-eup, Gwangsan-gun. The Songjeong-ri Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish in June 1949 by Bishop P. Brennan, and Father K. Mangan Cheomjeno took office as the first parish priest. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia records that, foreseeing the development of Songjeong-eup, An Brennan, Vicar of the Gwangju Vicariate, consented to the elevation of the Songjeong-ri Catholic mission chapel to a parish, and it was established on June 18, 1949.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Mangan purchased 1 houses in April 1950 (located at Songjeong-ri 579-25) and remodeled them into a church and a rectory, and appointed a chief catechist to guide the faithful and run catechism classes. When the Korean War broke out, he fled to Japan and returned to the parish in October, restoring the devastated church while devoting himself to evangelization, so that by 1953, the number of baptized faithful had grown to 170. As the church became too small, Father Mangan completed a new church of 62 pyeong on October 20, 1954, with the cooperation of the U.S. Forces in Korea and children's donations from the Church in Australia, and in April 1955 built a hall of 35 pyeong doubling as a catechism room and erected a statue of Our Lady.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 2 parish priest, Father E. Ryan, founded the parish’s first praesidium, “Merciful Virgin,” in July 1956. The 3 parish priest, Father T. Ryan, expanded the Church beyond Songjeong-eup to the township level in Gwangsan-gun, establishing the Imgok Catholic mission chapel in August 1958 and the Hanam, Donggok, Bonryang and Seochang Catholic mission chapels in 1960, and in December of the same year created a church cemetery in Unsu-ri, Songjeong-eup. As the number of faithful surged, the 5 parish priest, Father Maguire, separated Sindong Parish in April 1965 and changed the name of Songjeong-ri Parish to Wondong Parish. After newly building a convent in September 1966, he invited the Sisters of Caritas, and in 1967 newly built a catechism room.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Wondong Parish, whose foundation had been laid by Columban missionaries, received its first Korean priest, Father Lee Sang-cheol, in June 1968. Father Lee organized the Apostolic Society in January 1969, founded Our Lady Kindergarten in May to expand education and mission work, and newly built a rectory and a convent in December. The 7 parish priest, Father Park Sang-su, completed a new church of 88 pyeong in October 1971, and the 8 parish priest, Father Seo Sang-chae, launched the Gwangsan Credit Union in April 1975, and in that year the Samdo Catholic mission chapel was placed under the jurisdiction of the parish. The 9 parish priest, Father Kim Mu-ung, introduced the Charismatic Renewal movement, and the 10 parish priest, Father Kang Yeong-sik, installed a large cross and an electronic organ in the church in 1981. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia also records that houses were purchased in 1950 and remodeled into a church and a rectory, a church was newly built in 1954, and a new church was completed in October 1971.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, from the time of the 11 priest, Father Jang Ok-seok, to the 14 priest, Father Jang Se-hyeon, various devotional groups were organized and the church interior was renovated, and events such as pilgrimages and Holy Spirit seminars were held. The 15 priest, Father Kim Hui-hang, newly built an education hall in 1988, and the 16 priest, Father O Yo-an, installed a Marian grotto and a wall in 1990 and erected Wolgok-dong Parish as a separate parish in 1991. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia states that, with the establishment of Wolgok-dong Church, parish registers for 185 households and 465 faithful were transferred on May 17, 1991. The 17 parish priest, Father Jeong Jong-pyo, divided Usan-dong Parish in March 1993 and the Imgok quasi-parish in September. The 18 parish priest, Father Kim Jong-geol, repaired and renovated the infant room, choir loft, restrooms, kindergarten, storage room and senior citizens’ room in 1996, newly built the Bonryang Catholic mission chapel and renovated and expanded the Samdo Catholic mission chapel in 1998, and began the project to compile the “50-Year History of Wondong Parish” for the 50 anniversary of the parish’s founding. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that, as of 2002, 13 groups, including the Holy Family Association, were active.

Regarding its jurisdiction, the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that it covers all of Songjeong-1-dong, Unsu-dong, Dodeok-dong, Songchi-dong, Seonam-dong, Samdo-dong, Seobong-dong, Jijeong-dong and Jipyeong-dong, and parts of Songjeong-2-dong, Sochon-dong and Sinchon-dong, with 2 Catholic mission chapels under its jurisdiction at Bonryang and Samdo. The Church statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 3,483 in 1960, 3,106 in 1965, 2,215 in 1970, 2,298 in 1975, 3,416 in 1980, 4,678 in 1985, 5,439 in 1990, 3,264 in 1995, and 4,292 in 2000. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia states that it has operated Our Lady Kindergarten from 1969 to the present, contributing to local childcare, and records the sisters as the Sisters of Divine Providence.

Related Places and People

• Sindong Church: a parish separated from Wondong Parish, then Songjeong-ri Parish, in April 1965 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Wolgok-dong Church: a parish erected from Wondong Parish in 1991 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia).
• Usan-dong Church: a parish divided from Wondong Parish in March 1993 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Imgok Quasi-Parish: established by Wondong Parish as the Imgok Catholic mission chapel in August 1958 and divided as a quasi-parish in September 1993 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bonryang and Samdo Catholic Mission Chapels: Catholic mission chapels under Wondong Parish recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia. The Samdo Catholic mission chapel was placed under the parish’s jurisdiction in 1975.

The successive parish priests recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are as follows. First, K. Mangan Cheomjeno (1949.6–1956.4), 2 E. Ryan Eugenio (1956.4–9), 3 T. Ryan Thomas (1956.9–1962.10), 4 N. O’Neill Noel (1962.10–1964.1), 5 D. Maguire Desmond (1964.1–1968.6), 6 Lee Sang-cheol Hilario (1968.6–1970.11), 7 Park Sang-su Cosmas (1970.11–1973.6), 8 Seo Sang-chae Justino (1973.6–1976.11), 9 Kim Mu-ung Julio (1976.11–1979.10), 10 Kang Yeong-sik Andrea (1979.10–1983.2), 11 Jang Ok-seok Lucio (1983.2–4), 12 J. Chavez, Ha Chang-woo, Saverio (1983.4–1985.1), 13 H. Diaz, Won, Hector (1985.1–7), 14 Jang Se-hyeon Michael (1985.8–1986.2), 15 Kim Hui-hang Francisco (1986.2–1989.4), 16 O Yo-an John (1989.4–1993.3), 17 Jeong Jong-pyo Thomas More (1993.3–1995.8), 18 Kim Jong-geol John Bosco (1995.8–2000.1), 19 Jeon Yeong Antonio (2000.1–, listed as “present” in the encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Wondong Parish.” Verified are the establishment on June 18, 1949, the patron, the jurisdiction and Catholic mission chapels, Church statistics, successive priests, the history of the Songjeong-ri Catholic mission chapel, construction of churches, parishes erected from it, and repairs and Catholic mission chapel construction in the 1990s.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4800
2. Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, “Wondong Church.” Verified are the background of the establishment on June 18, 1949, the first parish priest, the remodeling of the church in 1950, new construction in 1954, the separation of Sindong Church in 1965, the completion of the church in 1971, the transfer of parish registers to Wolgok-dong Church in 1991, Our Lady Kindergarten, the sisters, and the patron saint.
   https://gwangju.grandculture.net/gwangju/toc/GC60003277