Dangsan-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Dangsan-dong Church is a parish belonging to Yeongdeungpo-Geumcheon District No. 15 in the West Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. It was established on June 13, 1957 by separation from Dorim-dong Parish, and its patron is the Assumption of Mary. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records as the prehistory of this area the Yeongdeungpo Catholic mission chapel belonging to Yakhyeon Parish and the church built in 1936 in Dangsan-dong 2-ga.

History

The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records the prehistory of the Dangsan-dong area as follows. The Yeongdeungpo Catholic mission chapel belonging to Yakhyeon Parish was the first Catholic mission chapel in Gangnam. On May 1936 a church was built in Dangsan-dong 2-ga (the present site of Gyeonggi Yeomjik) and it was raised to Yeongdeungpo Parish, but because the church land was low-lying and surrounded by small factories, it was sold on May 1939 and moved to the present Dorim-dong church site. The new place was well located, but for the faithful in the Dangsan-dong, Yangpyeong-dong and Yeongdeungpo-dong areas it was distant and dusty, making it inconvenient to reach on foot.

Accordingly, in 1955 a Dangsan-dong church building committee was formed, and with the approval of Father Lee Sam-bok of Dorim-dong Parish, on March 1957 1,004.7 pyeong of land at the present site was purchased. That same year, on June a wooden building with a floor area of 65.7 pyeong was built and it was established as Dangsan-dong Parish. Its jurisdiction was Dangsan 1-dong and 2-dong and Yangpyeong 1-dong and 2-dong.

On September 1961 a convent (18.5 pyeong) was completed and a branch house of the Sisters of Seongga Sobi was installed, and the following year on June a 2-story rectory (55.6 pyeong) was built. On February 24, 1968 the old wooden church building was demolished and Eunha Kindergarten was opened there, and on December 1981 the convent was expanded. As the parish grew, it spun off Gonghang-dong Parish on December 1967, Oryu-dong Parish on September 1968, Mok-dong Parish on July 1972 and Yeongdeungpo Parish on May 1973.

Successive pastors were the first pastor Cyril Kim Deok-je (June 1957–July 1958), the 2 pastor Paul Im Jong-gu (July 1958–September), the 3 pastor Thomas Park Byeong-yun (September 1958–December 1966), the 4 pastor Benedict Jo Chang-hui (December 1966–August 1967), the 5 pastor Isidore Park Hui-bong (August 1967–December 1970), the 6 pastor Stephen Myeong No-hwan (December 1970–May 1971), the 7 pastor Paul Kim Ok-gyun (May 1971–January 1972), the 8 pastor Paul Kim Dae-seong (January 1972–March 1974), the 9 pastor Andrew Kim Chang-man (March 1974–May 1977), the 10 pastor Andrew Ju Sang-bae (May 1977–September 1982), the 11 pastor Laurence Choi Seo-sik (September 1982–October 1989), the 12 pastor Joseph Kim Hui-seon (October 1989–September 1994) and the 13 pastor Dionysius Ryu Yeong-do (September 1994–). The number of faithful was in 1966 4,654 people, in 1971 4,365 people, in 1976 3,108 people, in 1982 4,167 people, in 1988 6,278 people and in 1994 6,794 people.

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the parish was organized into 22 districts and 92 ban groups. From the time of the 10 pastor Father Andrew Ju Sang-bae, the district and ban-leader system was newly established, and from May 1986 a democratic system was introduced for the election of volunteers, with the council elected by secret ballot. During the tenure of the 3 pastor Father Thomas Park Byeong-yun, with the service of Legion of Mary members and support from the Catholic relief agency (N.C.W.C.), soup kitchens were set up in Yangpyeong 1-dong and Dangsan 1-dong to help the destitute. During Lent in 1982 and 1986, rice and monetary offerings were collected and delivered to the poor, and on February 1983 and on April they visited the free ward of the municipal hospital and Yongmun House of Hope and similar places to offer manual service and consolation visits. The 12 pastor Father Joseph Kim Hui-seon, noting the large elderly population, obtained approval from the diocese on April 25, 1990 to open and operate a senior college, and the 13 pastor Father Dionysius Ryu Yeong-do, on October 7, 1989 restored Eunha Kindergarten, which had been closed, receiving formal approval on January 26, 1995 and reopening it on March.

Architecture and Space

On August 1966 a new church with a floor area of 179.7 pyeong was built and its dedication ceremony was held. As the number of faithful continued to grow, plans for a new church were promoted from January 1985, and on July 15, 1988 a church and rectory (floor area 1,287.96 pyeong) were built and the dedication ceremony was held.

Related Places and People

• Dorim-dong Parish: The mother parish from which Dangsan-dong Parish was separated. In 1957 the purchase of the Dangsan-dong church land was carried out with the approval of Father Lee Sam-bok of this parish.
• Yakhyeon Parish (present Jungnim-dong Parish): The parish to which the Yeongdeungpo Catholic mission chapel first belonged.
• Gonghang-dong Parish (in 1967) · Oryu-dong Parish (in 1968) · Mok-dong Parish (in 1972) · Yeongdeungpo Parish (in 1973): Parishes spun off from Dangsan-dong Parish.
• Eunha Kindergarten: A kindergarten opened in 1968 on the site of the old wooden church.

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Dangsan-dong Parish”. Separation from Dorim-dong Parish on June 13, 1957, patron Assumption of Mary, the Yeongdeungpo mission-chapel period and church relocation, church buildings in 1966 and 1988, the spin-off process and successive priests and activities were confirmed.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1232
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Directory of the Catholic Church in Korea, “Dangsan-dong”. District affiliation (Yeongdeungpo-Geumcheon District No. 15 in the West Seoul Region), foundation date 1957.06.13, patron Assumption of Mary and the Seoul Sisters of Seongga Sobi were confirmed.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000067&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011