Eungam-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Eungam-dong Church is a parish in Eunpyeong District No. 3 in the Central Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Eungam-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Separated from Susaek Parish, it was established on September 23, 1968, and its patron is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The first Mass was celebrated on August 15, 1968 in a tent church, the church was dedicated on October 22, 1972 with Archbishop Noh Gi-nam presiding, and the present church was dedicated on October 27, 1991 with Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan presiding. It is also the parish where Father Ham Se-woong served as the 5 pastor.

History

[Foundation] The Eungam-dong area under Susaek Parish was far from the parish, so the need for a new parish was raised. In September 1966 a committee to promote the establishment of Eungam-dong Parish was formed, and in August 1968 a tent church was erected at 247-21 in Eungam-dong, 185 pyeong, donated by Victoria Seong Im-ok, and the first Mass was celebrated on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption. On September 23 of the same year it was established as a parish, and Father Benedict Kim Yun-sang was appointed as the first pastor. The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all of Eungam 2, 3 and 4-dong and parts of Eungam 1-dong and Bukgajwa 2-dong.

[Church construction] Father Kim Yun-sang purchased land at 338-2 in Eungam-dong, 300 pyeong in February 1969 (the present church site), and Father Basilius Yu Jae-guk, the 2 pastor, built a Quonset building of 30 pyeong in April of the same year and used it as the church. Father Augustinus Go Myeong-cheol, the 3 pastor, began construction of a new church in April 1970, and during the tenure of Father Aloysius Cha In-hyeon, the 4 pastor, a church with a total building area of 215 pyeong was completed on October 22, 1972, with a dedication ceremony presided over by Archbishop Noh Gi-nam.

[The 1970s] Father Augustinus Ham Se-woong, the 5 pastor, purchased a convent building with land 46 pyeong and building 22 pyeong in April 1974, and in May Yeokchon-dong Parish was separated and the faithful of the Yeokchon-dong Catholic mission chapel of 46 households and 150 people were transferred. When Father Ham Se-woong was taken away by the investigative authorities in March 1976 over the “3·1 Day Myeongdong Church special prayer meeting incident,” parishioners held special prayer meetings for the detained priest several times. Father Ham was released on December 25, 1977, and meanwhile Father Lazarus Song Sun-yong and Father Thaddeus Park Yong-il served as temporary pastors before Father Thomas Aquinas Choe Chang-hwa took office as the 6 pastor.

[The 1980s] Father Thomas Aquinas Choe Chang-hwa, the 6 pastor, reorganized the pastoral council in January 1981 in accordance with the diocesan pastoral plan, and in September of the same year purchased a house of 21 pyeong in front of the church and used it as an education hall. Father Antonius Bong Hui-man, the 7 pastor, founded the Eungam Credit Union in May 1983 and in August published the commemorative booklet Seoljijeon for the 15 anniversary of the parish establishment, and after retiring from Eungam-dong Parish he stayed at the parish residence until he died in April 1986. Father Michael Park Gi-ju, the 9 pastor, launched a church-building committee in October 1986, announced a comprehensive 3-year church-building plan in May 1987, and held a groundbreaking ceremony in March 1988.

[After the 1990s] On October 27, 1991, on land of 832 pyeong, a church with total floor area 1,302 pyeong and a rectory and convent with total floor area 164 pyeong were completed, and a dedication ceremony presided over by Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan was held. During the tenure of Father Balthasar Kim Yeong-il, the 10 pastor, a committee to compile the parish 25-year history was launched in March 1993, and in October of the same year the 25-Year History of Eungam-dong Parish was published, and in January 1996 a committee to promote evangelization in the 2000s was launched. Father John the Apostle Kim Mong-eun, the 12 pastor, devoted himself to the North Korea mission, visiting Jangchung Church in Pyongyang twice, holding a special lecture on the theme of reconciliation and unity of the nation in January 1999 and a special lecture and photo exhibition on the theme of the daily life of North Korean residents in February 2000.

Parish membership is 1976 with 3,293 people, 1980 with 4,583 people, 1985 with 7,116 people, 1990 with 7,916 people, 1995 with 9,191 people, and 2000 with 5,668 people. The Korean Catholic Directory lists the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres as the parish sisters community.

Successive pastors are the first, Benedict Kim Yun-sang (1968.9–1969.4), the 2 Basilius Yu Jae-guk, the 3 Augustinus Go Myeong-cheol (1970.1–12), the 4 Aloysius Cha In-hyeon (1970.12–1973.11), the 5 Augustinus Ham Se-woong (1973.11–1977.11), the 6 Thomas Aquinas Choe Chang-hwa (until 1982.6), acting pastor Marcellinus Bae Se-yeong (1982.6–8), the 7 Antonius Bong Hui-man (1982.8–1985.2), the 8 Thomas Lee Seong-man (1985.2–1986.8), the 9 Michael Park Gi-ju (1986.8–1992.9), the 10 Balthasar Kim Yeong-il (1992.9–1997.9), the 11 Paulus Na Won-gyun (1997.9–1998.9), and the 12 John the Apostle Kim Mong-eun (from 1998.9).

Architecture and Space

Starting from a tent church at 247-21 in Eungam-dong in August 1968, 185 pyeong, it moved in 1969 to land at 338-2 in Eungam-dong, 300 pyeong. It went through a Quonset building of 30 pyeong in April 1969 and a church with building area 215 pyeong on October 22, 1972, and on October 27, 1991, on land 832 pyeong, a church with total floor area 1,302 pyeong and a rectory and convent with total floor area 164 pyeong were completed.

Related Places and People

• Susaek Parish: the parish from which Eungam-dong Parish was separated in September 1968.
• Yeokchon-dong Parish: the parish separated from Eungam-dong Parish in May 1974, to which the faithful of the Yeokchon-dong Catholic mission chapel of 46 households and 150 people were transferred.
• Father Ham Se-woong: served as the 5 pastor from November 1973 to November 1977, was taken away in March 1976 over the “3·1 Day Myeongdong Church special prayer meeting incident,” and was released on December 25, 1977.
• Victoria Seong Im-ok: the faithful who donated 247-21 in Eungam-dong, 185 pyeong, where the tent church was erected in August 1968.

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, entry “Eungam-dong Parish”. Confirmed the separation and establishment from Susaek Parish on September 23, 1968, patron Immaculate Heart of Mary, jurisdiction, membership statistics, successive priests, tent church and new church construction and dedication, separation of Yeokchon-dong Parish, matters related to Father Ham Se-woong, church dedication in 1991, publication of the 25 history, and North Korea mission activities.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4975
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory, entry “Eungam-dong”. Confirmed the district affiliation (Eunpyeong District No. 3 in the Central Seoul Region), establishment date 1968.09.23, patron Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000201&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011