후암동 성당

History & origins

After liberation, Catholics in Huam-dong faced the inconvenience of traveling to Yakhyeon Parish. In March 1949 preparations began in earnest for a local church and parish, with a mission-type community forming in Dongja-dong. The current Catholic directory records August 15, 1949, as the establishment date, while the Catholic Encyclopedia states that the first Mass was celebrated on that day by Fr. Choe Seok-ho.

The community developed into an independent parish later that year and welcomed Fr. Im Hwa-gil as its first pastor. A former Japanese residence and its land in Dongja-dong were purchased and converted into a church and rectory, and Bishop Paul Ro Ki-nam presided at the dedication in December 1949.

Huam-dong Parish remained rooted in the neighborhood through the rapid changes of postwar central Seoul. It developed educational facilities and devotional organizations and also took part in service to people in need around Seoul Station. The original goal of bringing pastoral care closer to local Catholics continues to shape the parish’s identity.