Junggye-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Junggye-dong Church is a parish belonging to Nowon District No. 5 in the Central Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, whose patron is St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Established on August 22, 1990 with the Nowon, Sanggye-dong and Gongneung-dong churches as its parent parishes, it had 4,500 parishioners at the time of foundation, leased floors 6 and 7 of the Jangwoo Building in Sanggye 6-dong for use as a church, and then purchased a new church site in 2012 and proceeded with construction of a new church building.

The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists Junggye-dong Parish as belonging to Nowon District No. 5 in the Central Seoul Region, with foundation date 1990.08.22, patron St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 9,180 parishioners, and 0 Catholic mission chapels. The congregation of sisters serving the parish is the Sisters of the Blessed Martyrs of Korea, and the directory names Father Joachim Yi Jeong-ho as pastor, Father Marco Baek Jong-won as assistant pastor, and Father Boniface Yun Jae-han as cooperating priest.

History

[Foundation and leased-church period] According to the parish introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Archdiocesan Bulletin dated May 6, 2018, Junggye-dong Church was founded in August 1990 with the Nowon, Sanggye-dong and Gongneung-dong churches as its parent parishes. It had 4,500 parishioners at the time of foundation, and leased the 6 and 7 floors of the Jangwoo Building in Sanggye 6-dong for use as a church. The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea gives the foundation date as 1990.08.22.

[Commercial-building church and division of Sanggye 2-dong Parish] According to the same Seoul Bulletin introduction, as the number of parishioners grew, it purchased part of the 3 floor of a commercial building in Sanggye 6-dong in 1992, and in September 1992 it divided off Sanggye 2-dong Church (1,843 parishioners). The entry “Sanggye 2-dong Parish” in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism records that, as large apartment complexes were built in the Sanggye-dong area and the strength of Sanggye-dong Parish and Junggye-dong Parish surged, the diocese purchased a church site on May 19, 1992 and then established Sanggye 2-dong Parish as of September 24, and it names Sanggye-dong Parish and Junggye-dong Parish as the parishes from which it was separated. According to the Seoul Bulletin, Junggye-dong Church used the entire 3 floor of the commercial building as a church from 2003 onward.

[New church site and construction] The Seoul Bulletin introduction states that through the prayers and zeal of the parishioners it purchased a new church site (2400 pyeong) in August 2012, and that as of May 2018, when the introduction appeared, it was carrying out finishing work for the construction of a new church building, which was scheduled to be completed in the autumn of that year.

Related Places and Persons

• Nowon, Sanggye-dong and Gongneung-dong churches: the parishes that the Seoul Bulletin introduction names as the parent parishes of Junggye-dong Church.
• Sanggye 2-dong Church: separated and founded from Sanggye-dong Parish and Junggye-dong Parish on September 24, 1992. The Seoul Bulletin gives the number of parishioners divided off at that time as 1,843.
• Sisters of the Blessed Martyrs of Korea: listed in the Bishops’ Conference directory as the congregation of sisters for Junggye-dong Parish.

References and Sources

1. Good News Catholic Gallery, “Junggye-dong Church of the Archdiocese of Seoul” (parish introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Bulletin of May 6, 2018 included). Foundation in August 1990 and parent parishes, number of parishioners at foundation and leased church, purchase of commercial space in 1992 and division of Sanggye 2-dong Church, use of the entire 3 floor of the commercial building in 2003, purchase of a new church site in 2012, new church construction.
   https://photo.catholic.or.kr/albumm/view.asp?af=11&id=81547&menu=4
2. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, “Sanggye 2-dong Parish”. Separation and foundation from Sanggye-dong Parish and Junggye-dong Parish on September 24, 1992, and its background.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3067
3. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Junggye-dong”. Affiliated district, foundation date, patron, number of parishioners, number of mission chapels, congregation of sisters, pastor, assistant pastor and cooperating priest.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000222&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011