Su-san Catholic Church

History & origins

Susan Parish began in 1996 when five mission stations—Myeongrye, Haeyang, Daeseong, Susan, and Sinho—were brought together and separated from Jinyeong Parish to form a new parish. According to a Diocese of Masan parish feature, preparations for a church had already been underway during the mission-station period, with land acquired in stages and local Catholics actively participating in building the foundation of the new parish. The foundation of Susan was thus a reorganization of several older mission-station communities into one parish.

Construction of the new church moved forward with the establishment of the parish. On October 21, 1996, the newly built Susan Catholic Church was dedicated in a ceremony presided over by Bishop Michael Park Jeong-il of Masan. The complex included not only the church itself but also a hall, meeting rooms, gathering space, convent, and office, providing a shared home for both liturgy and the communal life of the new parish.

An important part of the parish’s roots lies in the long Catholic history of the Myeongrye area. Diocesan material explains that Susan’s roots extend from Myeongrye and records the participation of parishioners in the development and service of Myeongrye Shrine. This tradition is also connected with the local memory of martyr faith, including Blessed Mark Shin Seok-bok.

Susan Parish marked its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2021 by gathering its historical materials and renovating parish facilities, and in 2026 it reached its thirtieth anniversary. The two major threads of its history—the founding cooperation of several mission stations and the inherited Catholic tradition of Myeongrye—continue to shape the historical identity of Susan Catholic Church today.