Seongnam-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Seoknam-dong Church is a church of the Diocese of Incheon located in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City. On October 6, 1974, it was elevated from a Catholic mission chapel under Songnim-dong Parish to a parish, and its patron is St. Francis of Assisi. With the elevation, pastoral care was entrusted to the Franciscan Order.

History

[Mission Chapel Period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in the mid-1950s, the Seoknam-dong area, under Bupyeong Parish (now Bupyeong 2-dong Parish), began mission-chapel services with about 10 faithful gathered at the house of Sin Seung-won, centered on Sin Eok-bae (John). The early faithful secured a site of 60 pyeong in the area of 105 Seoknam-dong, built a mission-chapel hall and additionally purchased about 200 pyeong of surrounding land, and on January 13, 1961 established a formal mission chapel centered on 3-4 households including Yu Sun-seop (Peter). The following year, on May, they purchased 802 pyeong for the present parish site and built a mission-chapel hall (18 pyeong). Its affiliation changed to Bupyeong 1-dong Parish on July 4, 1964 and to Songnim-dong Parish on February 1966. The parish history on the Incheon Diocese website states that on January 13, 1961 it “was founded as the Seoknam-dong mission chapel of Bupyeong 2-dong Parish,” was incorporated into Songnim Parish in 1966, and that on March 1971 the Seogot, Baekseok and Simgok mission chapels were incorporated into Songnim Parish.

[Elevation to Parish and Church Construction] The encyclopedia states that the diocese elevated the Seoknam-dong mission chapel to a parish on October 6, 1974 and entrusted pastoral care to the Franciscan Order. According to the Incheon Diocese history, with the elevation Father Myeong Il-jung (Leonardo) took office as first pastor, and the jurisdiction covered Seoknam-dong, Wonchang-dong, Gajeong-dong and Gajwa-dong, as well as the Seogot, Baekseok and Simgok mission chapels. On April 7, 1975 a groundbreaking ceremony for the church was held (builder: Samyang Construction Co., Ltd.), and the encyclopedia states that in the same year a church of 148 pyeong was completed on September 3 and a blessing ceremony was held on October 24.

[1970s-80s] The main matters recorded in the encyclopedia and the Incheon Diocese history are as follows. Construction of the rectory (75 pyeong) on October 1979 (in the Incheon Diocese history, a rectory completion ceremony on November 10 of the same year), creation of the Marian garden on May 3, 1981 (in the history, a Marian garden completion ceremony on May 30), incorporation of the Geumgok and Oryu mission chapels of Gimpo Parish on January 1, 1983, establishment of a branch house of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in the same year on April and construction of a convent on July, elevation of the Gajwa-dong mission chapel to a parish on August 15, 1984 (transfer of parish registers for 241 households and 692 persons), expansion of the church (catechetical rooms and ancillary facilities) on July 21, 1985, separation of Gajeong-dong Parish on January 1, 1986 (transfer of registers for 768 households and 2,325 persons; the Incheon Diocese history records it as the establishment of Gajeong-dong Parish on November 1 of the same year). The Incheon Diocese history also records an event for the 800 anniversary of the birth of St. Francis on October 3, 1982 and the elevation of the Seogot mission chapel to a parish on February 1, 1987.

[Construction of the New Church] The encyclopedia states that because the existing church was small, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 17, 1988 and construction began but was interrupted by the bankruptcy of the construction company, and that a church (275 pyeong) and rectory and catechetical rooms (105 pyeong) were completed on November 29, 1991, with a blessing ceremony held the following year on October 4. The Incheon Diocese history also records that a dedication ceremony for the new church was held on October 4, 1992, presided over by Bishop Na Gil-mo. On September 14, 1992, Gajeong 3-dong Parish was separated, transferring registers for 179 households and 488 persons (the history describes it as the establishment of Gajeong 2-dong Parish), and a blessing ceremony for the education center was held on October 4, 1995. The Incheon Diocese history records the start of expansion and remodeling of the basement chapel and dining hall on May 7, 2002, a blessing ceremony for the completion of the expansion and remodeling on October 6, and a blessing ceremony for the relocation of the statue of the Virgin Mary on October 20.

[Later History] The Incheon Diocese history lists a sports festival commemorating the 30 anniversary of the parish foundation on October 3, 2004, Father O Tae-il (Ildephonsus) coming to the Dapdong permanent confessional to assist diocesan mission work on February 26, 2006, the start of district Masses on April 17, 2008, the appointment of Father Lee Tae-seong (Augustine) as the 9 pastor on February 10, 2009, a parish-day pilgrimage to Mirinae Shrine (611 participants) on October 11, 2010, and in the same year a blessing ceremony for the Eucharistic adoration chapel, office and religious-goods room on October 18. As first Masses of new priests from the parish, the cases of Yang Yeong-gil (Thomas) on December 15, 2001 and Im Ju-hyeon (Domingo) on February 8, 2004 are recorded.

[Membership and Jurisdiction] The encyclopedia gives the number of faithful as 636 at the time of elevation, 1,684 in 1980, 3,660 in 1984, 3,966 in 1988, 5,273 in 1993, and 6,606 in 1997. The jurisdiction was Seoknam 1 and 2-dong, all of Gajwa 1-dong, and part of Seoknam 3-dong. The encyclopedia states that, considering that the jurisdiction includes an industrial complex area and a market, it was seeking pastoral directions for workers and the poor.

[Successive Pastors] The encyclopedia lists the first, Morin (L. Morin, Myeong Il-jung) Leonardo (October 1974-February 1976), the 2 Abasolo (R. Abasolo, Seo Jeong-cheon) Raphael (February 1976-February 1977), the 3 Olavoerria (I. Olavoerria, O Tae-il) Ildephonsus (February 1977-February 1979), the 4 Morin (February 1979-May 1985), the 5 Murguzur (J. Murgúzur, Mun Yo-seop) Joseph (May 1985-February 1994), the 6 Choe Byeong-cheol Augustine (February 1994-February 1997), the 7 Yu Yeong-jin Lucas (February 1997-February 1999), and interim Kim Byeong-du Bernardine (from February 1999). The Incheon Diocese history states that later, on February 23, 2003, Father Lee Sang-cheol (Paul) took office as the 8 pastor.

Related Places and People

• Songnim-dong Parish: the parish that had jurisdiction over Seoknam-dong Parish until Seoknam-dong was elevated in 1974 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Gajwa-dong, Gajeong-dong and Gajeong 3-dong Parishes (Gajeong 2-dong in the history): parishes separated from Seoknam-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Incheon Diocese history).
• Franciscan Order: the religious order entrusted with pastoral care at the time of the elevation to a parish in 1974 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Seogot mission chapel: the mission chapel that the Incheon Diocese history records as having been elevated to a parish on February 1, 1987.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Seoknam-dong Parish. Mission-chapel period and elevation to parish in 1974, church construction and new construction, daughter parishes, membership statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3205
2. Incheon Diocese website, Seoknam-dong Parish history. History from the founding of the mission chapel in 1961 to 2010, appointments of pastors and assistant priests, dedication and expansion-remodeling of the church.
   http://www.caincheon.or.kr/church/church_jigu.do?churchIdx=14025
3. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea address book, Seoknam-dong. Foundation date 1974.10.6., patron St. Francis of Assisi.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201000380&gubun=4