Mansu 1-dong Catholic Church

History & origins

The origins of Mansu 1-dong Parish are closely tied to the rapid urbanization of the Mansu area in the 1980s. As a new industrial road, the relocation of Incheon City Hall, and large apartment developments increased both population and the Catholic community, the Diocese of Incheon established Namdong Parish on January 10, 1988, by separating it from Mansu Parish, now Mansu 3-dong Parish. The first Mass was celebrated at the mother parish on January 17. Until the new community had its own church, Sunday Masses continued at the mother parish, while weekday Masses were celebrated in parishioners' homes.

On February 1 of the same year, a temporary tent church, office, and meeting room were completed on rented land. Parishioners then raised building funds through offerings and various fundraising efforts, acquired about 718 pyeong of land at the present site, and held the site blessing and groundbreaking on April 2, 1989. The church and rectory were completed on April 14, 1990. After additional work on classrooms and other facilities, Bishop William McNaughton presided at the blessing on May 18, 1991. In January 1993, the parish name was changed from Namdong to Mansu 1-dong.

During the 1990s, pastoral development accompanied the expansion of the parish facilities. A convent and cultural hall were built in 1994, allowing educational programs for the local community, while the ‘Finding New Sheep’ and ‘Finding Lost Sheep’ movements organized catechesis for newcomers and outreach to inactive Catholics. These initiatives later became a well-known parish model of evangelization. The history of Mansu 1-dong Parish thus shows how a community born in response to urban growth developed its church building, lay participation, and missionary life together.