흑석동(지) 성당

History & origins

Catholic community life in Heukseok-dong began to take shape in the mid-1930s. Because local Catholics had difficulty traveling to Yakhyeon or Yeongdeungpo parishes, a Heukseok-dong mission station was established in 1945. Land for a future church was acquired in 1949 and preparations began for parish status, but the Korean War dispersed the community and interrupted the plan.

After refugees returned in 1953, the community was reorganized and efforts to build a church and establish a parish resumed. On May 29, 1954, the Archdiocese elevated the mission station as “Myeongsudae Parish.” A nearby rented building initially served as both church and rectory. Construction of a new church began in August 1954, was completed in May 1955, and the church was dedicated that July by Bishop Paul Ro Ki-nam.

As Catholic life expanded south of the Han River, Myeongsudae became a mother parish for several new communities. The parish marked its 40th anniversary in 1995 and in 1996 changed its name from Myeongsudae, a name associated with the colonial period, to the local name Heukseok-dong. Today it continues the tradition of the early mission community as the leading parish of the 14th Dongjak District.