Bokja Catholic Church

Overview

Bokja Church is a church in Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, belonging to the Diocese of Jeonju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, it was conceived as a church commemorating the 100th anniversary (1966) of the martyrs of the Byeongin Persecution and was established on December 16, 1965, with the 24 Korean Byeongin Martyred Saints as patrons.

History

[Background of foundation] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the spring Bishops’ Conference in 1964 resolved that each diocese would build a memorial church in 1966, the 100th anniversary of the martyrdom in the Byeongin year. Accordingly, the Diocese of Jeonju held a meeting of diocesan priests on February 25, 1965 to discuss the Bokja Church construction plan, Bishop Han Gong-ryeol (1913–1973), the diocesan bishop, announced the plan on March, and an emergency meeting of diocesan priests on April agreed to build the memorial church. With diocesan subsidies and donations from the faithful and priests, the diocese purchased a site of 523 pyeong on July.

[Establishment of the parish] The encyclopedia states that on December 16, 1965, Bokja Parish was established by dividing parts of the jurisdictions of Jeondong Parish and Jungang Parish, and Father Joseph Lee Tae-gyu was appointed as the first pastor. The Korean Bishops’ Directory also records the establishment date as December 16, 1965. With the establishment, a temporary church with a scale of 60 pyeong was completed on January 20, 1966, and on September the ‘Bokja Church Construction Promotion Committee’ was formed.

[Construction of the church] According to the encyclopedia, after about 6 months of preparation, construction began on March 8, 1967, was completed on September 30, and the blessing ceremony was held on October 3. The following year, a rectory with a scale of 21 pyeong was also built on April.

[Early pastoral care] The encyclopedia states that Father Alberto Oh Gi-sun, who took office as the 4 pastor on April 1969, entrusted parish administration to laypeople and devoted himself to pastoral care. Accordingly, in 1969, from 6 to October, a statue of Mary, 14 Stations, mural statues of 79 figures, a statue of Father Kim Dae-geon and others were furnished through donations from the faithful. On March 1970, the parish’s first ‘Queen of Peace’ Praesidium was founded, and around December, the relics of 8 blessed martyrs including Peter Son Seon-ji and Peter Lee Myeong-seo were brought from the diocesan curia and enshrined in a newly furnished reliquary case. In the same year, sisters of the Inbo Eucharistic Sisters took up residence on April, but as an independent convent could not be built, they withdrew to the motherhouse on January 22, 1973.

[Jurisdictional changes and groups] The encyclopedia states that on January 1978, due to a change of jurisdiction within the diocese, part of Wansan-dong was transferred to Fatima Parish and part of Taepyeong-dong under Jungang Parish was incorporated. On February 1979, Father Andrea Park Seong-pal took office as the first assistant priest, on February 2, 1982 Ignatius An Cheol-mun became the first priest from the parish, and on April 1984, with the construction of a convent, a branch of the Korean Martyred Blessed Sisters was established.

[After the 1980s] According to the encyclopedia, Father John the Apostle Kim Gi-su, who took office as the 8 pastor on February 1986, repaired facilities inside and outside the parish and completed church renovation on December 10, and in accordance with the diocese’s decision changed the ‘Lay Apostolate’ system to a ‘Pastoral Council’ system. The altar society (1986), youth group (1987), women’s section (1987), St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon Association (1987), St. Joseph Association (1988), St. Anna Association (1988), Milal Association (1988), small groups (1988) and others were founded in this period. On February 1988, with the creation of Hwasan-dong Parish, 90 households and 207 faithful of Hwasan-dong were transferred, and among them 20 households and 56 people again became part of the parish on March. On March 1991, a relic room was installed in the small chapel, and the following year on April the statue of Mary was replaced.

[30th anniversary of foundation] The encyclopedia states that for the 30th anniversary of foundation in 1995, the monthly bulletin 《Bokja Family》 was first published on March and commemorative events including a great faith lecture were held on December, and through the efforts of the ‘Bokja Parish 30-Year History Compilation Committee,’ 《Bokja Church 30 Years》 was published on September 1997. The encyclopedia states that as of 1997, 1 curiae and 25 praesidia of the Legion of Mary, as well as district leaders’ meetings, Seongu Association, Marian Association, middle and high school student groups, choir, altar servers, youth group and others were organized and active.

[Church statistics, jurisdiction and successive priests] The jurisdiction recorded by the encyclopedia is parts of Daga-dong 1 and 2, all of 3 and 4, Gosa-dong 1 and 2, Seowansan-dong, Jinbuk 2-dong, Taepyeong-dong 1 and 2, and part of the Shinil Apartments area in Junghwasan-dong. Church statistics are 579 people in 1965, 992 people in 1972, 1,306 people in 1976, 1,794 people in 1981, 2,383 people in 1985, 2,520 people in 1990, 2,425 people in 1994, and 2,484 people in 1995. Successive pastors are the 1st Joseph Lee Tae-gyu (1965.12–1966.12), 2th Augustinus Lee Sang-ho (1966.12–1967.12), 3rd Matthias Beom Seok-gyu (1967.12–1969.4), 4th Alberto Oh Gi-sun (1969.4–1975.7), 5th Raphael Kim Jong-gil (1975.7–1977.5), 6th Joseph Kim Jong-taek (1977.5–1982.10), 7th Antonio Kwon Yeong-gyun (1982.10–1986.1), 8th John the Apostle Kim Gi-su (1986.2–1990.5), 9st John the Apostle Kim Byeong-hwan (1990.5–1994.2), 10th Joseph Jeong Seung-hyeon (1994.2–1998.1), and 11th Antonio Kim Jin-ryong (1998.1–present at the time of writing). The Korean Bishops’ Directory lists the parish as belonging to the 1 district, with the Korean Martyred Blessed Sisters as its affiliated sisters.

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, a temporary church with a scale of 60 pyeong was completed on January 20, 1966, and the church begun on March 8, 1967 was completed on September 30 and blessed on October 3. This church, designed by Father Allen of Waegwan, had a total floor area of 122 pyeong and cost 500 ten thousand won. The following year, a rectory with a scale of 21 pyeong was built on April, church renovation was completed on December 10, 1986, and a relic room was installed in the small chapel on March 1991.

Related Places and People

• Jeondong Parish and Jungang Parish: the parishes that divided parts of their jurisdictions when Bokja Parish was established in 1965 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Fatima Parish and Hwasan-dong Parish: the parishes with which Bokja Parish exchanged jurisdiction over part of Wansan-dong in 1978 and part of the faithful of Hwasan-dong in 1988 respectively (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bishop Han Gong-ryeol (1913–1973): the then head of the Diocese of Jeonju who announced the Bokja Church construction plan in 1965 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Alberto Oh Gi-sun: the 4 pastor (1969.4–1975.7) who laid the parish foundation by entrusting parish administration to laypeople (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Bokja Parish” (Diocese of Jeonju, vol. 6). Resolution to build memorial churches for the 100th anniversary of the Byeongin martyrdom, parish establishment in 1965, church completion and blessing in 1967, jurisdictional changes, church statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2610
2. Korean Conference of Catholic Bishops, Korean Catholic Directory “Bokja” (Diocese of Jeonju). Establishment date 1965.12.16, patron 24 Korean Byeongin Martyred Saints, Korean Martyred Blessed Sisters, 1 district.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001294&gubun=4