이문동(지) 성당

History & origins

The formation of Imun-dong Parish was closely connected with rapid population growth in Cheongnyangni and Imun-dong during the late 1950s. According to Dongdaemun-gu’s local history archive, Catholics in Imun-dong sought a separate parish because of the distance to Cheongnyangni Parish, and preparation for an independent community became concrete in the summer of 1961.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea directory records December 27, 1962 as the establishment date of Imun-dong Parish. The church site acquired for the new community was leveled in 1962-1963, and the foundations of parish life were built through the efforts of local Catholics.

The community also expanded its means of education and communication. The parish bulletin “Imunwa” was first published on February 5, 1967, and Gemma Kindergarten was established in 1972, welcoming its first pupils in 1973. These developments show how a parish born amid urban growth developed into a local community combining worship, formation, and education.