Ahyeondong Catholic Church

Overview

Ahyeon-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 2 Seodaemun-Mapo District of the Central Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Bukahyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Its patron is the Queen of the Rosary. The Dictionary of Korean Catholicism states that it was separated and established from the Yakhyeon (present-day Jungnim-dong) Parish on March 7, 1957, and the directory lists its establishment date as February 20, 1957.

History

The Yakhyeon Parish, founded in 1891, had divided off parishes several times, but when the number of faithful exceeded 7,000 in 1956, it decided to establish a parish in Bukahyeon-dong. Led by prominent residents of the Bukahyeon-dong and Ahyeon-dong areas, the “Catholic Ahyeon Church Establishment Preparatory Committee” was formed on February 10, 1957 and a fundraising campaign was carried out, and on March 7 of that year the parish was established and Father Jang Byeong-ryong took office as the first pastor.

The parish divided off the Yeonhui-dong Parish on August 19, 1967 and the Yanghwajin (present-day Seogyo-dong) Parish on October 10 of the same year, and divided off the Gongdeok-dong Parish on August 10, 1969 and the Sinsu-dong Parish on September 17, 1971. In 1969, it purchased a hill in Janggok-ri, Jori-myeon, Paju-gun, Gyeonggi-do and developed it as the parish cemetery.

In 1960, the number of faithful exceeded 5,000, and the Sunday school was so active that enrollment reached 500 to 600 students. The 3 pastor, Father Park Hui-bong, regularly visited Seodaemun Prison during his tenure and baptized more than 100 inmates.

Architecture and Space

Immediately after its establishment, the parish purchased a Protestant church located on the present church site in June of that year and used it as a temporary church, and used the pastor’s house as the rectory. On April 19, 1959, it purchased 162 pyeong of nearby land, held the groundbreaking ceremony in September of the following year, completed the church in August 1961, and celebrated the dedication ceremony on December 19, 1965, presided over by Archbishop Noh Gi-nam.

The 9 pastor, Father An Chung-seok, planned the construction of a new church, purchasing nearby land from November 1986 and holding the groundbreaking ceremony in April 1989, and the church dedication was celebrated on May 5, 1991, presided over by Cardinal Kim Su-hwan.

Related Places and People

• Jungnim-dong (Yakhyeon) Parish: The mother parish from which Ahyeon-dong Parish was separated.
• Yeonhui-dong Parish, Yanghwajin (present-day Seogyo-dong) Parish, Gongdeok-dong Parish, Sinsu-dong Parish: Parishes divided off from Ahyeon-dong Parish.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Dictionary of Korean Catholicism “Ahyeon-dong Parish.” The separation and establishment from Yakhyeon Parish on March 7, 1957, the patron Our Lady of the Rosary, the background of the establishment, the construction and dedication of the church, and the division of parishes were confirmed.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4153
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Ahyeon-dong.” The affiliated district (2 Seodaemun-Mapo District), the establishment date 1957.02.20, and the patron Queen of the Rosary were confirmed. The dictionary gives the patron as Our Lady of the Rosary, so the wording differs.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000178&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011