Sangdong Church

History & origins

Sang-dong Parish was established on June 19, 1988, by separation from Simgok 3-dong Parish in response to local development and the growth of the Catholic population in Bucheon. According to the Digital Bucheon Culture Encyclopedia, it was initially called Jung-dong Parish and covered all of Jung-dong and Sang-dong as well as part of Songnae-dong, using rented commercial premises as a temporary church. The first Mass in the temporary church was celebrated in August of that year, and in December the parish name was changed to Sang-dong Parish.

As the number of parishioners continued to rise, the parish pursued the construction of a permanent church. Ground was broken in April 1992, and the church was dedicated in November 1993. Population growth continued with the development of the new towns of Jung-dong and Sang-dong, however, leading to the separation of Jung-dong Parish and Jung 2-dong Parish in February 1994. In September 1996, the formation of new apartment complexes in Sang 1-dong led to the transfer of 841 households and 2,635 registered Catholics to the newly separated Sang 1-dong Parish.

These successive divisions were not the result of decline, but part of the process of dividing parish territory and establishing new parishes in response to rapid urban growth. The official Catholic directory continues to record June 19, 1988, as the establishment date of Sang-dong Parish. Its history clearly illustrates how a parish grew with the formation of Bucheon’s new town and then gave rise to several local communities as the pastoral network became more finely organized.