Sangpyeongdong Catholic Church

History & origins

The Catholic community in Sangpyeong-dong began to take a more definite form around 1955, shortly after the Korean War, when the Keundeul mission station was established under Okbong-dong Parish. At the time there were about ten Catholic households, roughly twenty-five believers, and a hall was built on land donated by the first mission-station leader, Carlo Jang Byeong-sik, providing a base for the community.

After the Namgang Dam was completed in 1970, industrial facilities and housing spread across Sangpyeong-dong, bringing rapid population growth and an increase in Catholics. Okbong-dong Parish purchased the present church site on March 15, 1977, and organized a church-building committee in October 1978. Before a church building was available, Catholics from the Keundeul mission station and from areas belonging to Chilam-dong, Okbong-dong, and other parishes rented a meeting room at Dodong Credit Cooperative and celebrated Sunday Mass together while preparing for a new parish.

On January 5, 1979, the Diocese of Masan established Sangpyeong-dong Parish by dividing portions of Okbong-dong, Chilam-dong, Samcheonpo, and Sacheon parishes, appointing Fr. John Je Chan-seok as the first pastor. Construction proceeded that year, and on December 28 a parish complex with the church, rectory, hall, and meeting rooms was completed. In 1983 the former rectory was converted into a convent and the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres were invited to the parish.

Population growth continued to reshape the parish boundaries. On September 9, 1986, Hadae-dong Parish was separated from Sangpyeong-dong, and the records of 314 households and 965 Catholics were transferred. During the 1990s the convent and meeting spaces were further improved. This history shows how a small rural mission station grew with industrialization and urban expansion into an independent parish and, in turn, became a local center from which another parish was formed.