About this place
The Eucharistic Pilgrimage Shrine is a place of Eucharistic devotion established by the Diocese of Incheon around the old stone church within the grounds of Gimpo Catholic Church. Official Catholic shrine information introduces it as the “Eucharistic Pilgrimage Shrine (Old Gimpo Catholic Church),” and the historic former church continues to serve as a place of pilgrimage and prayer on the same site as the present parish. It is distinct from the parish's ordinary liturgical space while remaining closely tied to the history of the Catholic community in the Gimpo region.
The old church is also presented as a registered modern cultural heritage property. Its distinctive character lies in the way local evangelization history and Eucharistic devotion meet in one place. Pilgrims can encounter traces of the long parish history while also practicing a living devotion before the Eucharist. The shrine is therefore not simply a preserved old building, but a place that joins the church history of Gimpo with present-day Eucharistic prayer and pilgrimage.
History & origins
The roots of the Catholic community in the Gimpo region go back to evangelization around 1900. According to the Catholic GoodNews shrine account, Geolpo-ri Mission Station, belonging to Haengju Parish, was established in Gimpo in 1910. In 1946 that community was separated from Haengju and raised to the status of Geolpo-ri Parish. As the pastoral center shifted toward Gimpo town, land was secured and plans were made for a new church.
Construction was interrupted by the Korean War, but through the efforts of Father Shin In-sik and the parishioners, a stone church was completed and blessed in December 1956. For many years the building served the Catholic community of the Gimpo area. Even after a newer church was built, the old stone church was preserved rather than demolished. Its registration as a modern cultural heritage property reflects both its ecclesial history and architectural value.
On November 1, 2015, the Diocese of Incheon gave the old church a new role as the Eucharistic Pilgrimage Shrine. The former central church of the parish thus continued its life as a place dedicated to Eucharistic devotion. The site's meaning expanded beyond that of an “old church,” connecting the history of evangelization in Gimpo with present-day prayer before the Eucharist. Its history is marked by this continuity: preserving the memory of an older Catholic community while giving the historic church a renewed purpose for pilgrimage.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Eucharistic Pilgrimage Shrine: history and architecture
Read about the place's history, architecture, people, and events in the Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia articles are currently available in Korean.
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- 한국천주교주교회의 온라인 주소록
Diocese
Incheon Diocese (Diocese of Incheon)
Official website: http://www.caincheon.or.kr
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