Cheongdam-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Cheongdam-dong Church is a parish belonging to No. 11 Gangnam Deanery in the East Seoul Region of the Seoul Archdiocese, located in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. On November 22, 1973, it was separated from Yangjae-dong Parish and established, and its patron is St. Peter Yu Daecheol. The faith community in this area began to form when Yi In-ui (Francis), a native of the area, preached the Gospel after his baptism in 1904, and the Sutgol Catholic mission chapel opened in 1908 is the predecessor of the parish.

History

[Mission Chapel Era] In the Sutgol area (present-day Cheongdam-dong), a faith community began to form when Yi In-ui (Francis), a native of the place, preached the Gospel after his baptism in 1904. As the number of believers grew, in 1908 Father Duse (C.-E. Douset, Jeong Gami) of Yakhyeon Parish (present-day Jungnim-dong) opened the Sutgol Catholic mission chapel and appointed Yi In-ui as its president. In the early days, with no hall, the faithful gathered mainly at the mission chapel president's house every Sunday to hold mission chapel services, but as the church grew and it became impossible to hold catechumenate rites or sacraments in that house any longer, in 1915 President Yi used salvaged materials from a demolished building in Irwon (present-day Gaepo-dong) to build, at lot 262-1 in Cheongdam-ri, a 10-kan tiled hanok hall (20 pyeong).

On April 1927, when Baekdong Parish (present-day Hyehwa-dong) was separated from Yakhyeon Parish, the Sutgol Catholic mission chapel was transferred to the new parish, and from 1947 it belonged to Jamsil-ri Parish (present-day Jamwon-dong). In the spring of 1959, a new mission chapel hall was built at mountain lot 52 in Cheongdam-ri (the present site of the Gangnam-gu Office) with a total floor area of 50 pyeong, and moved there. When ownership of the land in the mission chapel area passed to a private individual, at the end of 1961 a new mission chapel hall was prepared at lot 264 in Cheongdam-dong, on a site of 170 pyeong purchased by the diocesan office. On July 20, 1965, when Maljukgeori Parish (present-day Yangjae-dong) was separated from Jamsil-ri Parish, the Sutgol Catholic mission chapel was transferred to Yangjae-dong Parish.

However, Yangjae-dong Parish had no resident priest since 1971, so Father Baenon (Bannon, Park) of the Guadalupe Foreign Mission Society sometimes came to celebrate Mass, and from May 1973, Father Park Byeong-yun (Thomas), the 5 head pastor of Myeongsudae Parish (present-day Heukseok-dong), concurrently served as pastor of Yangjae-dong Parish and stopped by the mission chapel to celebrate Mass. As development of the Yeongdong area began in early 1970 under the land readjustment project of the City of Seoul and the population grew, the diocese, effective November 22, 1973, raised the Cheongdam (Sutgol) Catholic mission chapel to a parish and appointed Father Yi Chang-suk as its first pastor.

[Establishment and Development of the Parish] After taking office, Father Yi Chang-suk rented Unit 103 in Building Ga of Cheonghwa Apartments in Cheongdam-dong on a jeonse lease for use as a temporary rectory, and began purchasing land and preparing for construction of the church, and in 1974 he organized the Legion of Mary. In February 11, 1975, Caritas sisters were dispatched to the parish. In exchange for handing over the old mission chapel site to the diocese, he received 1,400 ten thousand won from the diocese and, on March 30, 1976, purchased land at lot 110 in Cheongdam-dong, on a site of 226 pyeong, and began new church construction, and launched the block leaders meeting, the middle and high school student group, the choir, the Marian Association, the pastoral council, and the Association for the Deceased. On May 1976, with the transfer of Father Yi Chang-suk, the Nonhyeon Catholic mission chapel was raised to a parish at the same time.

The 2 head pastor, Father Choe Chang-jeong (Joachim), focused on building the new church but had great difficulty financing construction, until on October 1976, parishioner Kim Pyeong-jun (Timothy) donated 109 pyeong of his own land, resolving the problem. On May 8, 1977, a church with a total floor area of 237 pyeong was completed, and a dedication ceremony was held, presided over by Cardinal Kim Su-hwan (Stephen). Later that same year, on December 7, Jamsil Parish was separated due to the increase of believers following development of the Yeongdong area. Father Choe formed the Our Lady of Fatima Praesidium and the Gate of Heaven Praesidium (February 1978) and the youth mixed Praesidium (March 1978), and on April 1978 established a Catholic mission chapel in Apgujeong, and on September established the Dogok-dong Catholic mission chapel. The following year, on May 31, these two mission chapels were respectively raised and separated as Apgujeong-dong Parish and Dogok-dong Parish (present-day Daechi-dong).

The 3 head pastor, Father Yu Jae-guk (Basil), reorganized the pastoral council and the basic communities such as districts and small groups, and, for the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Joseon Vicariate, which fell in 1981, designated it the 'Year of Re-education of the Faithful' and held monthly faith lectures for all parishioners. On February 1982, an adjacent 329-pyeong parcel was additionally purchased to begin an expansion, and on June 29, 1986 the work was completed and a dedication ceremony was held. The 4 head pastor, Father Kim Su-chang (James), reorganized the basic communities every year and created new groups suited to that year's pastoral direction, while the 5 head pastor, Father Im Deok-il (Amatus), set active participation in the liturgy, deepening of faith life, and a life of sharing as pastoral goals, and in 1993 finalized the plan to build the 'Cheongsutgol Mission 100th Anniversary Memorial Education Center'.

The 6 head pastor, Father Lee Bong-u (Thomas Aquinas), carried out a blood donation campaign on March 27, 1994 and a rice-offering campaign on May 29, and in 1995 reintegrated the separately operated middle and high school divisions of Sunday School. The 7 head pastor, Father Yeom Su-jeong (Andrew), from June 9, 1995 to July 28, conducted for all parishioners an 8-week Holy Spirit Seminar. The 8 head pastor, Father Park Sun-jae (Raphael), organized a youth district meeting on March 1996 and formed a new pastoral council on December 29, and in 1998 promoted a Bible reading, writing, and transcription campaign. The 9 head pastor, Father Jo Sun-chang (Casimir), on September 2000, separated and established Samsung 2-dong Parish (present-day Samsung-dong), and designated 2003 as the 'Year Commemorating 100 Years of Catholicism in Cheongdam and the 30th Anniversary of Elevation to Parish'. The 10 head pastor, Father Hwang Heung-bok (Joseph), from September 26, 2003 to October 17, held four times the 30th Anniversary Bible School, on October 26 celebrated the 'Commemorative Mass and Ceremony for the Year of the 100th Anniversary of the Catholic Church in Cheongdam', and on December 24 compiled the 'History of Cheongdam-dong Parish Covering 30 Years'.

The successive pastors are the founding pastor Yi Chang-suk Gregory (November 1973~May 1976), the 2 head pastor Choe Chang-jeong Joachim (May 1976~October 1980), the 3 head pastor Yu Jae-guk Basil (October 1980~August 1986), the 4 head pastor Kim Su-chang James (August 1986~February 1989), the 5 head pastor Im Deok-il Amatus (February 1989~February 1994), the 6 head pastor Lee Bong-u Thomas Aquinas (February 1994~March 1995), the 7 head pastor Yeom Su-jeong Andrew (March 1995~September), the 8 head pastor Park Sun-jae Raphael (September 1995~September 1998), the 9 head pastor Jo Sun-chang Casimir (September 1998~September 2003), and the 10 head pastor Hwang Heung-bok Joseph (September 2003~). The church membership was, in 1973, 596 people, in 1979, 1,780 people, in 1983, 5,289 people, in 1987, 10,053 people, in 1992, 12,686 people, in 1999, 13,635 people, and in 2003, 7,016 people.

Architecture and Space

Built in 1915 at lot 262-1 in Cheongdam-ri, the 10-kan tiled hanok hall (20 pyeong) served as the mission chapel hall. After elevation to parish, on May 8, 1977 a church with a total floor area of 237 pyeong was completed and dedicated, and the expansion begun in 1982 was finished on June 29, 1986 with a dedication ceremony.

Religious Significance and Visiting Context

The Sutgol (Cheongsutgol) Catholic mission chapel to which the parish belongs began with the baptism of Yi In-ui in 1904, and in 2003 the parish commemorated '100 Years of Catholicism in Cheongdam'. According to the Korean Catholic Directory, the parish convent is served by the Caritas Sisters of Jesus.

Related Places and People

• Yangjae-dong (Maljukgeori) Parish: the Sutgol Catholic mission chapel was transferred there in 1965, and Cheongdam-dong Parish was separated from there in 1973.
• Jamsil Parish, Apgujeong-dong Parish, Dogok-dong Parish (present-day Daechi-dong), and Samsung-dong Parish: parishes separated and elevated from Cheongdam-dong Parish.
• Nonhyeon Catholic mission chapel: a mission chapel raised to a parish on May 1976.
• Yi In-ui (Francis): baptized in 1904 and appointed president of the Sutgol Catholic mission chapel in 1908.

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, "Cheongdam-dong Parish". On November 22, 1973, separation and establishment from Yangjae-dong Parish, patron St. Peter Yu Daecheol, history of the Sutgol mission chapel, new church construction and dedication, separated parishes, and successive priests and church membership were verified.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5956
2. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory, "Cheongdam-dong". Affiliated deanery (East Seoul Region No. 11 Gangnam Deanery), establishment date 1973.11.22, patron St. Peter Yu Daecheol, and the Caritas Sisters of Jesus were verified.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000233&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011