Balsan-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Balsan-dong Parish is a parish in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, belonging to Gangseo District No. 17 in the Seo-Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul. In 1978, it was separated from Hwagok-dong Parish (now Hwagokbon-dong) and established, and its patron is the Mother of God. The date of establishment is listed as on September 3, 1978 in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and as on August 18, 1978 in the Korean Catholic Directory respectively.

History

Balsan-dong was developed as a large-scale apartment complex from the early 1970s to accommodate a rapidly growing population, and as apartment occupancy proceeded in earnest, the incoming population continued to grow. Accordingly, Hwagok-dong Parish, which was planning a parish division, purchased 399 pyeong of the present church site with diocesan assistance in 1978 during the tenure of the 2 parish priest, Father Kim Jeong-jin (Paul), and began church construction on August 20 of the same year. When the parish was newly established effective September 3, the first Mass was offered with only the basement 1 floors completed, and on July 12 of the following year a church with a total floor area of 257 pyeong was completed. The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covered all of Hwagok 3 and 5-dong and parts of Naebalsan-dong, Oebalsan-dong and Sinwol 5-dong.

From the start of his tenure the first parish priest, Father Kim Jeong-hong Ludovico, concentrated on building the church and founded Yongseong Night School for young people who could not advance to higher schools for family reasons. In December 1982 construction of the church annex to house the convent Eucharistic adoration room and catechism classrooms was completed, and in March of the following year the house immediately beside the church was purchased and, after renovation in May, used as the rectory. From around this time lay groups began to be organized, and besides the existing pastoral council and district and group activities, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Association for the Deceased and the Holy Spirit Prayer Group were established, followed by the Military Chaplaincy Support Association and M.E. in 1982, the Marian Association in 1983, the Eucharistic Service Association in 1988 and the middle and high school choir in 1989. In February 1990 a separate Mass accompaniment group in charge of instrumental accompaniment at Mass was organized, and in the same year a mothers catechist group was created so that parents could take direct part in the catechetical education of their children.

The 4 parish priest, Father Kim Hyeong-sik Peter, designated 1993 as the 'Year of Educational Retreat' and conducted retreats for parishioners from early February to late November, in which a total of 4,838 people took part. On December 5 of that year the parish held, for the first time as a parish, a Eucharistic Congress at the 88 Gymnasium on the theme 'Stay with Us,' attended by over 4,000 clergy, religious and faithful. It then published a pictorial record of the Eucharistic Congress and held a symposium commemorating the 1 anniversary of the Eucharistic Congress in December 1994.

On April 27, 1997 the 5 parish priest, Father Kim Hong-jin John the Apostle, together with 31 pilgrims, visited the Ezec Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Ruffec Parish in the Diocese of Angouleme in France, the birthplace of Saint Ometre (Oh), who was martyred at Galmaemot in Chungnam in 1866, attended the Mass commemorating the 131 anniversary of the saint's martyrdom and then formed a sisterhood relationship. This was the first sisterhood relationship formed by a parish of the Archdiocese of Seoul with a foreign parish.

The successive parish priests were the first, Kim Jeong-hong Ludovico (August 1978-March 1983), the 2 parish priest, Thomas Aquinas Lee Bong-u (March 1983-September 1988), the 3 parish priest, Luke Kim Un-hoe (September 1988-February 1989), the 4 parish priest, Peter Kim Hyeong-sik (February 1989-March 1995), and the 5 parish priest, John the Apostle Kim Hong-jin (March 1995-). The parish statistics were 786 people in 1978, 4,598 people in 1983, 7,992 people in 1988, 8,726 people in 1992 and 8,225 people in 1996.

Architecture and Space

Church construction began on August 20, 1978 and was completed on July 12, 1979 with a total floor area of 257 pyeong. In December 1982 the church annex (convent Eucharistic adoration room and catechism classrooms) was completed.

Related Places and People

• Hwagok-dong Parish (now Hwagokbon-dong): the parish from which Balsan-dong Parish was separated.
• Father Saint Ometre (Oh): the saint martyred at Galmaemot in Chungnam in 1866, whose birthplace diocese's Ezec Catholic mission chapel formed a sisterhood relationship with Balsan-dong Parish.

References and Sources

1. Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, entry 'Balsan-dong Parish.' The separation and establishment from Hwagok-dong Parish on September 3, 1978, patron Mother of God, jurisdiction, parish statistics, successive priests, purchase of the church site and progress of construction, founding of lay groups, Eucharistic Congress and sisterhood relationship with the Ezec Catholic mission chapel were confirmed.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2364
2. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory, entry 'Balsan-dong.' The affiliated district (Seo-Seoul Region Gangseo District No. 17), establishment date 1978.08.18, patron Mother of God, and the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help were confirmed.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000113&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011