Bupyeong 4-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Bupyeong 4-dong Church is a church in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City, belonging to the Diocese of Incheon. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, it began in 1964 when the Bupyeong 1-dong Catholic mission chapel, under the jurisdiction of Bupyeong (now Bupyeong 2-dong) Parish, was elevated to a parish, and on February 13, 1993 the parish name was changed from Bupyeong 1-dong to Bupyeong 4-dong. Its patron is the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

History

[Mission Chapel Period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Seobu-dong (now Bupyeong 1-dong), which was under the jurisdiction of Bupyeong Parish, was not far from the parish church, but the Gyeongin Line railway cut across the route and made travel difficult. When the number of Catholics in this area reached over 60, Father Peter Kim Yeong-sik, the first pastor of Bupyeong Parish, secured a site of over 900 pyeong in the area of 65 Bupyeong-dong in 1958 and established the Bupyeong 1-dong Catholic mission chapel, with the first Mass offered on November 18 the following year. Less than 1 year after the founding of the Catholic mission chapel, the number of the faithful attending Sunday Mass reached 200, making the building of a new church unavoidable.

Meanwhile, the encyclopedia states that in early 1960 the existing Catholic mission chapel site was divided into several parcels in the course of a land readjustment project, making church construction impossible, and that representatives of the faithful who were campaigning to correct the replotting were arrested by the police. The Diocese of Incheon therefore sold the disputed site and in spring 1961 newly purchased the present church site of 1,608 pyeong; construction of the church began on March 1963, and that year on August a church with a size of 120 pyeong was newly built, with the rectory also completed the following spring.

[Elevation to Parish] On July 1964 the diocese elevated the Bupyeong 1-dong Catholic mission chapel to a parish. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives the date of elevation as July 14, 1964 in its overview but as July 1, 1964 in its account of the Catholic mission-chapel period, so the dates differ within the same entry. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea directory gives the date of establishment as July 14, 1964.

[Settlement and Transformation] After the elevation, the first pastor, Father Romano Theisen (Tae Uiseon), and the faithful founded a credit union on May 26, 1965, and in the same year on August built the Maria Teresa female students' hall next to the parish convent to provide a place of study for female students. On March 10, 1970 Sacred Heart Kindergarten was established inside the female students' hall and came to take charge of the overall operation of the hall. In the time of the 2 pastor, Father Gervasino Lee Su-il, on October 3, 1973 the Bupyeong Sacred Heart Reconstruction School, a night middle school, was founded, and on May 1974, following the diocese's territorial reorganization, the parish received the Byeongbang-ri Catholic mission chapel, which had been under the jurisdiction of Gimpo Parish.

During the tenure of the 3 pastor, Father Simon Kang Yong-un, an education hall was built on November 12, 1976 for use as catechism rooms and group meeting rooms; at the end of the following year a credit union hall was built to involve local residents, and that year, when the Galsan-dong Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish on October 4, parish registers for over 600 persons were transferred. When the existing church became old and cramped, the 4 pastor, Father Peter Seo Byeong-seop, began construction of a new church on April 15, 1980 and completed the following year on March 3 a church with 1 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors (400 pyeong), holding a blessing ceremony. During the tenure of the 5 pastor, Father Benedict Ho In-su, on April 15, 1983, as the Bupyeong 5-dong Parish was newly established, parish registers for 413 households and 1,519 persons were transferred.

The 6 pastor, Father Joseph Lee Hak-ro, carried out repair and renovation work on various facilities, and the 7 pastor, Father Jo Seong-gyo, promoted the construction of an education hall, building and blessing on March 31, 1991 an education hall with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors (total floor area 728 pyeong). The encyclopedia states that after the 8 pastor, Father Benedict Park Seong-gyu, took office, commemorative events were held for the 30 anniversary of the parish's founding and the 《30-Year History of Bupyeong 4-dong Parish》 was published.

[Church Membership and Jurisdiction] The membership recorded in the encyclopedia is 3,374 persons in 1964, 2,800 persons in 1970, 4,258 persons in 1975, 4,521 persons in 1980, 4,754 persons in 1985, 7,275 persons in 1990, and 6,764 persons in 1996. Its jurisdiction is recorded as the entire area of Bupyeong 4-dong and part of Bupyeong 1-dong. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea directory lists the parish as belonging to the Bupyeong District, its patron as the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and its community of sisters as the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

[Past Pastors] The pastors listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first, Father Romano Theisen (Tae Uiseon) (1964.7–1973.4), the 2 pastor, Father Gervasino Lee Su-il (1973.4–1974.4), interim Father John Chrysostom Jo Seong-gyo (1974.4–8), the 3 pastor, Father Simon Kang Yong-un (1974.8–1978.1), the 4 pastor, Father Peter Seo Byeong-seop (1978.1–1983.1), the 5 pastor, Father Benedict Ho In-su (1983.1–1986.2), the 6 pastor, Father Joseph Lee Hak-ro (1986.2–1989.2), the 7 pastor, Father Jo Seong-gyo (1989.2–1993.2), and the 8 pastor, Father Benedict Park Seong-gyu (1993.2–present at the time the encyclopedia was compiled).

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, at the time the Catholic mission chapel was founded in 1958, a site of over 900 pyeong in the area of 65 Bupyeong-dong was secured, but construction became impossible due to land readjustment, so in spring 1961 the present church site of 1,608 pyeong was newly purchased. Construction began on March 1963, and that year on August a church with a size of 120 pyeong was newly built, with the rectory completed the following spring. Construction of a new church began on April 15, 1980, and on March 3, 1981 a church with 1 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors (400 pyeong) was completed and blessed, and on March 31, 1991 an education hall with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors (total floor area 728 pyeong) was built and blessed.

Related Places and People

• Bupyeong Parish (now Bupyeong 2-dong): It had jurisdiction over the Bupyeong 1-dong Catholic mission chapel, and in 1964 the Bupyeong 4-dong Parish was separated from this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Galsan-dong Parish: When the Galsan-dong Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish on October 4, 1977, this parish transferred parish registers for over 600 persons (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bupyeong 5-dong Parish: When it was newly established on April 15, 1983, this parish transferred parish registers for 413 households and 1,519 persons (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Byeongbang-ri Catholic mission chapel: On May 1974, following the diocese's territorial reorganization, it was transferred from Gimpo Parish to this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Bupyeong 4-dong Parish” (Diocese of Incheon, Vol. 6). Catholic mission-chapel period, elevation to parish in 1964, church completion in 1981, education hall, separation and transfer of parish registers, parish membership, jurisdiction, and former pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2701
2. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory of Korea “Bupyeong 4-dong” (Diocese of Incheon). Date of establishment 1964.7.14, patron Sacred Heart of Jesus, community of sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Bupyeong District.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201000368&gubun=4