Ga-eum-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Gaeum-dong Church is a church of the Catholic Masan Diocese located in Gaeum-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on July 5, 1977 it was separated and established from Jungdong Parish in Masan (now Changwon), and at first it was called “Yongji-dong Parish.” Its patron is the Holy Family.

History

[Mission chapel period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, before an industrial complex was built and the area was promoted to a city, this area was a quiet rural area where only a few faithful of Namseong-dong Parish in Masan lived scattered here and there. From the spring of 1955, they used the house of Joseph Gam in Yongji-ri, Sangnam-myeon as a Catholic mission chapel (chairperson Salesio Park) to hold services, and after Sangnam-dong Parish was established on December 1966, they belonged to that parish, and from November 1971 they came under the jurisdiction of Changwon Parish (now Jungdong Parish).

[Parish establishment] The encyclopedia states that as the number of faithful in Changwon Parish grew with regional development, the Masan Diocese separated this area in preparation for the future, established it as a parish, and appointed Father Beninati as the first pastor. The encyclopedia records that on July 5, 1977 it was separated and established from Jungdong Parish in Masan (now Changwon), and records the tenure of the first pastor Beninati as from 1976 to 1980.

[Name change] According to the encyclopedia, at the time of establishment the parish name was ‘Yongji-dong Parish,’ but after separating Bansong-dong Parish on January 1981, the following year on September it changed it to ‘Gaeumjeong-dong Parish,’ and with the reorganization of administrative districts it changed again to ‘Gaeum-dong Parish,’ a name that continued to the time of the encyclopedia’s compilation.

[Completion and expansion of the church] The encyclopedia states that the parish established a branch of the Caritas Sisters, and during the tenure of the 3 pastor, Father Anania Jo Yeong-hui, on September 7, 1982 it completed a church on a site of 278 pyeong and held a dedication ceremony, and in 1984 it expanded it.

[Church statistics and jurisdiction] The statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are 3,143 persons in 1989 and 4,359 persons in 1993. Its jurisdiction is recorded as Gaeumjeong-dong, inner and outer Namsan-dong, Oe-dong, Seongju-dong, and part of Sangnam-dong. The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea records the parish as belonging to Zone 1 of the Changwon Deanery, with establishment date July 5, 1977, affiliated congregation the Sisters of Caritas of Jesus, 4,405 faithful, and 0 Catholic mission chapels.

[Successive pastors] The successive priests recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Francesco Beninati (F. Beninati, Im Deok) (1976–1980), the 2 pastor Paul Shin Eun-geun (1980–1982), the 3 pastor Anania Jo Yeong-hui (1982–1986.2), the 4 pastor Ignatius Jeong Sun-gu (1986.2–1989), the 5 pastor Ignatius Choe Yong-jin (1989–1993.8), and the 6 pastor Alphonsus Choe Yeong-cheol (1993.8–to the time of the encyclopedia’s compilation).

Architecture and Space

According to the encyclopedia, on September 7, 1982 it completed a church on a site of 278 pyeong and held a dedication ceremony, and in 1984 it expanded it.

Related Places and People

• Jungdong Parish (former Changwon Parish): From November 1971 it administered the faithful in this area, and on July 1977 Gaeum-dong Parish was separated from this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sangnam-dong Parish: Established on December 1966, it administered the Yongji-ri Catholic mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bansong-dong Parish: On January 1981 it was separated from Gaeum-dong Parish (then Yongji-dong Parish) (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Namseong-dong Parish in Masan: The parish to which the early faithful living in this area belonged (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Gaeum-dong Parish” (Masan Diocese, vol. 1). Yongji-ri Catholic mission chapel, parish establishment in 1977, name changes, church completion in 1982, statistics, jurisdiction, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/49
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Gaeum-dong” (Masan Diocese). Establishment date 1977.07.05, patron Holy Family, Changwon Deanery Zone 1, congregation, number of faithful, number of mission chapels.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001036&gubun=4