Hwayang-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Hwayang-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 8 Seongdong-Gwangjin District in the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, and is located in Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. It was established by separation from the Imun-dong Parish, and its patron is Christ the King. Its establishment date is recorded as on November 8, 1970 in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and as on November 6, 1970 in the Korean Catholic Directory.

History

[Establishment of the Parish] Before the parish was established, the faithful in the Hwayang-dong area under the jurisdiction of the Imun-dong Parish attended Sunday Mass at churches in Cheonho-dong, Imun-dong, Wangsimni and Seongsu-dong or at the small chapel of the Korea branch of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Junggok-dong. These churches were all far from Hwayang-dong and inconvenient, and as the faithful of each parish also increased, the need to establish a parish in the Hwayang-dong area grew. The Missionary Society of St. Columban decided to build a church in this area and in September 1970 purchased 2 18 in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu (318 pyeong), and in November leased the 2 floor of the building at 132-6 in Hwayang-dong and prepared a temporary church. The Archdiocese of Seoul established this place as Hwayang-dong Parish and appointed Father Hugo McMahon of the Columban Fathers as the first pastor.

While preparing the construction of the new church, Father McMahon judged Hwayang-dong more suitable for Church expansion and pastoral ministry than Seongsu-dong, where a site had already been secured, and so in August 1971 he sold the Seongsu-dong land and purchased the land (347 pyeong) and the above-ground building (137 pyeong) at the present parish site. He began repair and extension work on the existing building and held the dedication ceremony on July 1974, celebrated by Cardinal Stefano Kim Sou-hwan. In December 1971 he founded the Association for the Deceased, the Marian Association and the Sunday school, and in December 1973 Junggok-dong Parish was separated and established as the Church grew.

The 2 pastor, Father Thomas Cleary (T. Cleary, Gil), prepared a plan to establish Guui-dong Parish in 1976, and in April of the following year Guui-dong Parish was separated and established. In addition, in June 1978 he demolished the existing church and began construction of the present church, completing it in November (347 pyeong) and holding the dedication ceremony presided over by Bishop Joseph Kyong Gab-ryong.

[Change and Development] As the parish pastoral authority of the Korea branch of the Columban Fathers was returned to the Archdiocese of Seoul in spring 1979, Father Joseph Hwang Heung-bok, belonging to the diocese, took office as the 3 pastor. Father Hwang founded groups such as the Sacred Heart Association, the Mothers’ Association and the Curia, and Father Andrea Kim Chang-man, the 4 pastor, purchased nearby land and a building in April 1985 for parish expansion. Father Jesus Mary Joseph Park Seong-gu, the 5 pastor, purchased 111-17 in Hwayang-dong in October 1988 and 111-180 in December 1990 respectively and enlarged the site. Father James Kim Su-chang, the 6 pastor, purchased a total of 78 pyeong of land during his tenure, and Father Joseph Park Won-ju, the 7 pastor, purchased 65 pyeong of land in 1995 and published the parish bulletin 《Hwayang Piri》 in October. Father Andrea Dae-geon Im Sang-man, the 8 pastor, held a marriage renewal ceremony in August 1999 and prepared a Eucharistic adoration room in January of the following year. Father Augustino Yun Seong-ho, the 9 pastor, organized a youth pastoral council in 2002 and interacted with the Catholic student associations of nearby Konkuk University and Sejong University. Father Matteo Kim Hyeong-seok, the 10 pastor, is recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia as focusing on raising funds to build a new church on the site prepared together with the small-community revitalization movement.

The jurisdictional area recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all areas of Hwayang-dong, Songjeong-dong, Gunja-dong, Mojin-dong and Neung-dong. The successive pastors are the first Hugo McMahon (November 1970–February 1975), the 2 Thomas Cleary (February 1975–March 1979), the 3 Joseph Hwang Heung-bok (March 1979–August 1981), the 4 Andrea Kim Chang-man (August 1981–August 1986), the 5 Jesus Mary Joseph Park Seong-gu (August 1986–February 1991), the 6 James Kim Su-chang (February 1991–August 1994), the 7 Joseph Park Won-ju (August 1994–November 1997), the 8 Andrea Dae-geon Im Sang-man (November 1997–February 2000), the 9 Augustino Yun Seong-ho (February 2000–January 2005), and the 10 Matteo Kim Hyeong-seok (January 2005–). The Church statistics are in 1974, 1,980 people, in 1980, 2,885 people, in 1985, 4,710 people, in 1990, 4,497 people, in 1995, 4,502 people, in 2000, 4,143 people, and in 2004, 4,119 people.

Architecture and Space

The temporary church used the leased 2 floor of the building at 132-6 in Hwayang-dong. Afterwards, the existing building at the present site was repaired and extended and dedicated in July 1974, and in June 1978 it was demolished and a new church was built, completed in November of the same year (347 pyeong) and dedicated with Bishop Kyong presiding.

Faith Meaning and Visiting Context

According to the Korean Catholic Directory, the women’s religious congregation serving the parish is the Inbo Eucharistic Sisters.

Related Places and People

• Imun-dong Parish: the parish from which Hwayang-dong Parish was separated and established.
• Junggok-dong Parish and Guui-dong Parish: parishes separated and established from Hwayang-dong Parish in December 1973 and April 1977 respectively.
• Missionary Society of St. Columban: the missionary society that was in charge of parish ministry from the foundation until the pastoral authority was returned to the diocese in spring 1979.

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Hwayang-dong Parish”. Separation and establishment from Imun-dong Parish (on November 8, 1970), patron Christ the King, background of foundation, dedication of the church, separated parishes, land purchases, successive priests and Church statistics were confirmed.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/7006
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory “Hwayang-dong”. Affiliated district (the 8 Seongdong-Gwangjin District in the East Seoul Region), establishment date 1970.11.06, patron Christ the King, and the Inbo Eucharistic Sisters were confirmed.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000251&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011