Wonmi-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Wonmidong Church is a church in Wonmi-dong, Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, belonging to the Incheon Diocese. On December 25, 1977, it was separated from Sosa Parish and established, and its patron is Our Lady of Lourdes. On February 13, 1993, the dedication ceremony for the new church, with a total floor area of 958 pyeong, was held, presided over by Bishop McNaughton (Na Gil-mo).

History

〔Background and Establishment〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Wonmi-dong was an area with a high population growth rate, so the need to establish a parish was raised, and in 1977, when the Columban Missionaries proposed building a new church in the Wonmi-dong area, the diocesan chancery purchased 553 pyeong of land for the church. On November 25, Wonmi-dong Parish was separated from Sosa Parish and established, and Father Healy (P. Healy) was appointed as the first pastor. The overview section of the encyclopedia gives the establishment date as December 25, 1977, which differs from the separation date in the main text (November 25), while the Incheon Diocese website and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory give the establishment date as December 25, 1977. Its jurisdiction covered all of Wonmi-dong and parts of Chunui-dong and Singok-dong.

〔Early Church and Laying the Foundation〕 The encyclopedia states that Father Healy completed a new church of 180 pyeong on March 1978, invited sisters of the Seoul Sisters of the Holy Family on April 1980, and laid the foundation for the parish by organizing groups including the united youth association. The 2 pastor, Father O’Hara (J. O’Hara), completed a convent of 101.6 pyeong in 1985. On March 1985, a boundary adjustment with Sosa Parish transferred 145 households and 446 persons to Sosa Parish and incorporated 49 households and 117 persons into Wonmi-dong Parish.

〔Construction and Dedication of the New Church〕 According to the encyclopedia, as the parish grew, parishioners began discussing building a new church, and under the 3 pastor, Father Seo Sang-beom, a new church building committee was formed on October 1987. To secure access to the church, a row-house building (building 67 pyeong, land 60 pyeong) was purchased, and design work for the new parish church began. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 1990, and while the church was being built, Mass was celebrated at the Somyeong School church, then from July 1991 Mass was celebrated in the new church. Between October 1992 and November, the office, rectory, and convent were relocated, and on February 13, 1993, the dedication ceremony for the new church, with a total floor area of 958 pyeong, was held, presided over by Bishop McNaughton (W. J. McNaughton, Na Gil-mo).

〔Activities in the 1990s〕 The encyclopedia states that the 4 pastor, Father Cho Ho-dong, completed computerization of parish registers on April 1993 and focused on re-educating the faithful by opening a faith school with a 1-year course from February 1994. Under the 5 pastor, Father Kim Jun-seok, on August 1996 there was an event for the ‘Night of Interreligious Prayer for Reconciliation and Peace of the Korean People,’ and on May 1997 the united youth association conducted a fundraising campaign to help North Korean compatriots.

〔Parish Statistics〕 The parish statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are 445 persons at the time of the parish establishment, in 1982 2,270 persons, in 1986 3,476 persons, in 1989 4,153 persons, and in 2000 5,059 persons. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory lists the number of the faithful as 5,274 persons.

〔Successive Pastors〕 The encyclopedia lists the first pastor Healy (P. Healy), Patricio (until July 1981), the 2 pastor O’Hara (J. O’Hara), John (1981.7~1985.8), the 3 pastor Seo Sang-beom, Thomas (1985.8~1993.1), the 4 pastor Cho Ho-dong, Paul (1993.1~1996.1), the 5 pastor Kim Jun-seok, Melchior (1996.1~2000.1), the 6 pastor Hong Chang-man, Luke (2000.1~2002.1), and the 7 pastor Kim Hyun-su, Thomas (2002.1~present). The current pastor on the Incheon Diocese website and in the directory is Father Jeong Hyeon-gi Montano.

〔Affiliation〕 The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory lists Wonmidong Church as a parish in Bucheon 2 District of the Incheon Diocese, and gives the Mirinae Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart as its sisters’ community.

Related Places and People

• Sosa Parish: the mother parish from which Wonmi-dong Parish was separated in 1977. By the boundary adjustment on March 1985, 145 households and 446 persons transferred to Sosa Parish, and 49 households and 117 persons were incorporated into Wonmi-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Columban Missionaries: the missionary society that proposed building a church in the Wonmi-dong area to the diocese in 1977 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Healy (P. Healy): the first pastor of Wonmi-dong Parish, who completed the new church on March 1978 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bishop McNaughton (Na Gil-mo): presided over the dedication ceremony for the new church on February 13, 1993 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Somyeong School church: the place where Mass was celebrated while the new church was being built (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Wonmidong Parish. Background and establishment, new church and dedication in 1993, activities by pastor’s term, parish statistics, successive priests (reference: History of the Incheon Diocese, 1991).
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4804
2. Incheon Diocese website, guide to Wonmidong Parish. Establishment date 1977-12-25, patron Our Lady of Lourdes, current pastor.
   http://www.caincheon.or.kr/church/church_jigu.do?churchIdx=14062
3. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory, Wonmidong. Establishment date 1977.12.25, affiliation Bucheon 2 District of the Incheon Diocese, patron Our Lady of Lourdes, sisters’ community, current pastor.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201000414&gubun=4