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Korean
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About this place
Suryu Parish is one of the long-established parishes of the Diocese of Jeonju in the Gimje area, serving Hwayul-ri and Geumseong-ri in Geumsan-myeon. Its patronal feast is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the diocese presents Suryu as a place that preserves the memory of a long-standing Catholic community and of many Catholics who were martyred during the Korean War.
Today Suryu is more than a local parish. It is significant as a place where the early spread of Catholicism in the Honam region and the witness of faith during wartime can be understood together. The former church site and related heritage remain around the parish, making it an important point for understanding the long history of the Diocese of Jeonju and the Catholic villages of the region.
History & origins
The roots of Suryu Parish go back to Baejae Mission Station, established in 1882 by Fr. Riuveille of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. Baejae was near the center of several mission stations and already had an established Catholic community. In 1889, Baejae was elevated to parish status, and the current Diocese of Jeonju directory records April 1, 1889, as the establishment date of Suryu Parish.
In September 1895, the parish moved its center to the present Suryu area. Pastoral work and education developed together there, and in 1908 the parish founded Inmyeong School, remembered as the predecessor of today's Hwayul Elementary School, thus taking part in local education as well.
The Korean War left a deep wound in the parish's history. According to diocesan sources, more than fifty Catholics were martyred by communist forces, and the wooden church built in 1907 was burned down. The parish preserved important church records by sealing them in earthenware jars and burying them in the ground until after the war, a striking testimony to the community's experience of war and faith.
The historic Suryu church site was designated as a cultural heritage property of Jeollabuk-do in 2021. The designation publicly recognized the site's historical value as a place that preserves both the story of evangelization in the Honam region and the memory of martyrdom during the war.
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Building information
- Passenger elevators: 0
- 1 above-ground floors · 0 below-ground floors
- Approved for use in 1960
- Total floor area: 422㎡
Building-register record · · Source
Accessibility information
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Sources and updates
- Information Status
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- Source
- Diocese source
- Data freshness
- Fresh
- Last updated
- Source
- Francisco Diary
Diocese
Jeonju Diocese (Diocese of Jeonju)
Official website: https://www.jcatholic.or.kr
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