Bangbae-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Bangbaedong Church is a parish belonging to the 12 Seocho District in the West Seoul Region of the Seoul Archdiocese, located in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It was established on February 25, 1982 by elevation from a Catholic mission chapel under Banpo Parish to a parish, and its patron is the Resurrection of Jesus.

History

Bangbae-dong, which was separated from Gwanak-gu and incorporated into Gangnam-gu as of April 1, 1980, saw a sharp increase in incoming residents as Subway Line 2 opened and apartment complexes were built. In early 1981, Banpo Parish decided to build a new church here and, on October 8 of the same year, established the Bangbae Catholic mission chapel, leasing 220 pyeong on the 2 floor of the Namseoul Building at 106-1, Bangbae-dong as the mission chapel building. There, work aimed chiefly at elevation to a parish was pursued rather than regular mission-chapel services. By decision of the Seoul Archdiocese, Bangbaedong Parish was established on February 25, 1982, after which the faithful celebrated Mass in the mission-chapel building while looking for a site for a new church.

The first pastor was Father Kim Unhoe, Luke (in March 1982–in September 1988), the 2 pastor was Father Kim Byeonghak, Raphael (in September 1988–in November 1993), and the 3 pastor was Father Choe Junung, Barnabas (from in November 1993). Its jurisdiction covered all of Bangbae 1-dong and parts of 2–4-dong in Bangbae-bondong. Membership was 2,534 in 1982, 7,198 in 1987, 9,314 in 1992, and 9,516 in 1996.

The parish gave 10% of the proceeds of a bazaar held to raise the church-building fund to extremely poor households in its territory, regularly helped needy neighbors identified through district and small-group activities, and paid scholarships to students with financial difficulties. Under the 3 pastor, Father Choe Junung, it formed a sisterhood with Baegun Parish in the Wonju Diocese on May 22, 1994, carried out direct farm-produce trade in August, and on November 24, 1996 organized a medical volunteer group to provide medical services to about 200 parishioners of Baegun Parish and nearby residents. In October 1993 it founded the theater troupe ‘Onggi Village,’ and in 1995 and 1996 it held exchange visits with Catholic students of the Urawa Diocese in Japan through the ‘Korea-Japan Youth Peace Exchange Faith School’ program. When the number of faithful reached over 1 ten thousand, it pursued the establishment of a daughter parish and in May 1996 purchased 366 pyeong at 807-7–8, Bangbae-bondong as the site for the new parish.

Building and Space

On July 27, 1982 it purchased 738 pyeong of private land at 256-1, Bangbae 2-dong and, on April 12 of the following year, began new construction, completing a temporary church of 120 pyeong in 3 months. As the existing site could not accommodate a church large enough for the growing number of faithful, it additionally purchased 496 pyeong immediately next door on July 18, 1984. On July 3, 1985 it formed a preparatory committee for building a new church and raised funds for 1 years, began new construction on June 8, 1986, and after 1 years and about 6 months, on December 12, 1987, completed a church with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors and a total floor area of 1,112 pyeong.

Related Places and People

• Banpo Parish: the parish that established the Bangbae Catholic mission chapel; Bangbaedong Parish was elevated from a mission chapel under this parish.
• Baegun Parish, Wonju Diocese: the parish with which it formed a sisterhood in 1994.
• Father Kim Unhoe, Luke: the first pastor, serving from March 1982 to September 1988.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Bangbaedong Parish”. It confirmed the elevation to a parish from a mission chapel under Banpo Parish on February 25, 1982, the patron Resurrection of Jesus, the background of the mission-chapel founding, the building of the temporary church and the new church completed in December 1987, sharing activities and the sisterhood, and successive pastors and membership figures.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2377
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Bangbaedong”. It confirmed the affiliated district, the 12 Seocho District in the West Seoul Region, the founding date 1982.02.25, the patron Resurrection of Jesus, and the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000114&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011