Dunchon-dong Church

Overview

Dunchon-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 9 Gangdong District of the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Dunchon-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul. It was established in 1981 through elevation from a Catholic mission chapel under Cheonho-dong Parish to a parish, and its patron is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Catholic Directory of Korea lists its establishment date as on January 6, 1981.

History

Around 1980, the Dunchon-dong area was changing rapidly with large apartment complexes and commercial buildings going up and a growing migrant population. The Dunchon-dong Catholic mission chapel of some 600 faithful who celebrated the first Mass on July 27, 1980 discussed the construction of a rectory and the launching of a parish in August of that year. From July 1980 to January 1981, while there was no priest, Sister Ludovina O Gyeong-hui of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres helped the activities of the faithful of the mission chapel. Father Benedict Im Sang-mu took office as the first pastor on January 21, 1981 (in office from January 1981 to August 1986), followed by the 2th Father Balthasar Kim Yeong-il and the 3th Father Ludovico Kim Su-gil. In July 1981, a branch house of the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs was established.

Following the establishment of the pastoral council in 1980, the parish launched the Legion of Mary, the youth group, the mothers’ choir and others, organized the support association for the Our Lady of Charity Rehabilitation Center in April 1985, and established a school for the elderly in May of the same year. It sent monthly self-reliance support funds from 1989 to the ‘Little House of Francis’ for homeless patients, and on May 26, 1991 held the 10th anniversary celebration of the parish founding together with publishing the compilation 《10th Anniversary of the Parish Founding》. Showing devotion to the martyrs, it made a pilgrimage to Mirinae Shrine in 1988, district-by-district shrine pilgrimages in 1992, and a pilgrimage to Cheonjinam in 1995. The number of faithful was 4,894 in 1985, 8,790 in 1990, and 9,698 in 1994.

Architecture and Space

On June 1, 1985, the dedication ceremony was held for the church newly built with a site area of 557 pyeong and a floor area of 840 pyeong.

Related Places and Figures

• Cheonho-dong Parish: the mother parish to which the Dunchon-dong mission chapel had belonged.
• Father Benedict Im Sang-mu: he took office as the first pastor in 1981 and served until August 1986.
• Mirinae Shrine and Cheonjinam: shrines to which the parish made pilgrimages.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, “Dunchon-dong Parish”. Elevation from a Catholic mission chapel under Cheonho-dong Parish to a parish (on January 6, 1981), patron Immaculate Heart of Mary, the mission-chapel period and founding process, appointment of the first pastor, dedication of the newly built church in 1985, and parish activities and statistics were confirmed.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1505
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory of Korea, “Dunchon-dong”. The affiliated district (9 Gangdong District), establishment date 1981.01.06, patron Immaculate Heart of Mary, and religious congregation (Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs) were confirmed.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000086&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011