Namyang Sacred Site Cathedral

History & origins

Plans for a major church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Namyang took concrete form as the shrine developed into a larger pilgrimage complex. The official history of the Diocese of Suwon records a groundbreaking ceremony on May 28, 2016, for the church dedicated to prayer for Korean reunification, reconciliation, and peace. The project expanded the shrine’s long-standing intention of praying the Rosary for peace into a major liturgical space.

After years of construction, the church was dedicated on March 25, 2023, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Both the diocesan calendar and the official diocesan chronology record the dedication on that date, after which the building began to serve fully as the principal church of the pilgrimage site. The structure has one basement and two above-ground levels; its two red-brick towers and partially earth-sheltered main body link the architecture with the broad landscape of the shrine.

Architectural recognition followed completion. In 2024, the church was selected as a winner of the 47th Korean Institute of Architects Award. The jury praised the way the two towers organize the expansive site, the harmony between the building and the landscape, and the interior formed by light and brick. The joint design by Mario Botta and Han Man-won attracted attention as an example of balancing the natural setting of the shrine with religious symbolism.

In 2025, the building also received the 28th Catholic Art Award in architecture. The jury highlighted its red-brick expression, the fact that more than half of the main body is set into the ground, and its expanded use as a cultural space for pilgrims, visitors, and local residents. Since its dedication, the church has thus become both a place for the liturgy and a contemporary architectural expression of the shrine’s memory, faith, and artistic vision.