Ochi-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Ochi-dong Church is a church in Ochi-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, on November 10, 1985 it was separated from Jungheung-dong Parish and established as a parish, starting from the Ochi Catholic mission chapel. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists St. Paul the Apostle as the parish patron.

History

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in the early 1980s, fewer than 10 Catholic households were scattered in the Ochi-dong area bordering Gwangsan County and Damyang County, and the faithful attended Mass at Jungheung-dong Parish. When the faithful attended Mass celebrated by military chaplain Father Park Jung-shin (Simon), who made pastoral visits to the 31 Division, at the nearby 31 Parish, it became the occasion for Bible study and a catechumen class to begin. 4 women faithful who were in the Legion of Mary at Jungheung-dong Parish founded the “Gate of Heaven” Praesidium in May 1982, admitted new faithful and held meetings, and as the number of faithful grew, Father Bourke (M. Bourke, Bu) of Jungheung-dong Parish promised to celebrate Mass in Ochi-dong once a suitable place was prepared.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, on June 29, 1983, the 1 floor of a 3-story building erected as the Gwangsan Kim clan Daejonggak office was leased on jeonse, and on July 10 the first Mass was celebrated by Father Bourke, establishing the Ochi Catholic mission chapel. Father Bourke organized the apostolic association and formed the districts into 5 groups, and as the faithful increased he reorganized them into 7 groups. On November 10, 1985, as the Ochi-dong Catholic mission chapel was raised to a parish, Father Campion (L. Campion, Pa) Rahullin was appointed as the first head pastor. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia also records that, starting from the “Gate of Heaven” Praesidium in 1982, the Ochi Catholic mission chapel was established in 1983, and on November 10, 1985 it was separated from Jungheung-dong Parish and raised to a parish.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Campion reappointed the officers of the apostolic association from the mission-chapel period and had them continue operating the association. In February 1987, Park In-dong (Paul), the first mission-chapel president, donated 400 pyeong of personally owned land as the church site, and the diocese provided an additional site of more than 200 pyeong. In the time of the 2 head pastor, Father Monaghan, the faithful joined forces through fundraising, raffle-ticket sales, a household-goods bazaar and other efforts, held the groundbreaking in April 1989, and completed a church with a site of 600 pyeong, a total floor area of 470 pyeong, and 2 stories above ground and 1 story below ground, celebrating the dedication on June 6, 1991 presided over by Archbishop Yun Gong-hui (Victorino). The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia records that parish construction was completed on June 6, 1991.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, during the tenure of the 3 head pastor, Father Cleary, the construction of apartments and population growth made an education hall, a rectory and a convent necessary, so the small-community organization was reorganized into 21 districts and 80 groups, and in December 1994 the structural work of the education hall and the convent were completed. In 1999, after 14 years of contributing to the founding and development of the parish, the Columban fathers withdrew in accordance with the decision of the diocese, and after the first Korean priest, the 5 head pastor Father Kang Jong-hun, took office, the suspended construction resumed and the small chapel, welfare hall, education hall and rectory were completed in May 2001. The Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia also notes that on May 20, 2001 an education hall equipped with a new rectory, small chapel, welfare hall and catechism rooms was built.

Concerning the jurisdiction, the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists the entire Maegok-dong area and parts of Ochi-dong, Samgak-dong and Yongbong-dong, and Daejeon-myeon in Damyang County (Daechi Catholic mission chapel). According to the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, in 1990 the Daechi Catholic mission chapel under Damyang Parish was transferred to Ochi-dong Parish. The church statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 440 in 1986, 858 in 1988, 4,606 in 1994, and 5,377 in 2000, and the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia records 6,621 faithful as of December 2019 and 874 faithful regularly attending Sunday Mass. The congregation of sisters recorded in the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia is the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Related Places and People

• Jungheung-dong Church: the mother parish from which Ochi-dong Parish was separated in 1985.
• Seosan-dong Church: a parish separated from Ochi-dong Parish. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives August 1994 and the Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia gives 1993, so the two sources differ.
• Samgak-dong Church: a parish separated from Ochi-dong Parish in 1999. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives February 1999.
• Yongbong-dong Church: a parish separated from Ochi-dong Parish in 2000. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives August 2000.
• Daechi Catholic mission chapel: a Catholic mission chapel in Daejeon-myeon, Damyang County, recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia as under the jurisdiction of Ochi-dong Parish.

The successive head pastors listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are as follows. The first, Campion (L. Campion, Pa) Rahullin (1985.11–1988.11), the 2 Monaghan (D. Monaghan, Min) Dionisio (1988.11–1992.11), the 3 Cleary (C. Cleary, Sin) Cornelio (1992.11–1996.8), the 4 McGonagle (D. McGonagle, Ryu) Dionisio (1996.8–1999.7), and the 5 Kang Jong-hun Andrea (from 1999.7, listed as “present” in the encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Ochi-dong Parish”. Confirmed the separation from and founding by Jungheung-dong Parish on November 10, 1985, the patron, the jurisdiction, church statistics, successive priests, the background of the mission-chapel founding, the donation of land and the dedication of the church, the building of the education hall, convent and small chapel, and the separation of Seosan-dong, Samgak-dong and Yongbong-dong Parishes.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4631
2. Digital Gwangju Culture Encyclopedia, “Ochi-dong Church”. Confirmed the founding on November 10, 1985, the founding of the Ochi Catholic mission chapel and the raising to a parish, the first head pastor, the transfer of the Daechi Catholic mission chapel, the completion of construction in 1991, the building of the education hall in 2001, the separated parishes, the congregation of sisters, and the number of faithful in 2019.
   https://gwangju.grandculture.net/gwangju/toc/GC60003275