Macheondong Catholic Church

Overview

Macheon-dong Church is a parish belonging to Songpa District No. 10 in the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Macheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. On September 17, 1971 it was separated and established from Cheonho-dong Parish, was first called Geoyeo-dong Parish, and on March 1981 changed its name to Macheon-dong Parish. Its patron is Saint Augustine.

History

[Mission Chapel Era] The faith community in this area began around August 1966 when displaced settlers who had moved from various parts of Seoul settled in the Macheon-dong and Geoyeo-dong areas under the jurisdiction of Cheonho-dong Parish. 4-5 believers gathered on April 1967 at the house of Yi Sim-won (Simeon) to celebrate Catholic mission chapel services, and on August newly established the Geoyeo-dong Catholic mission chapel centered on president Choe Jae-hwan (Matthew). On November 1969 , through the arrangement of Fr. Gyeong Gap-ryong (Joseph), then finance manager of the Archdiocese of Seoul, it received as a donation from Hyehwa-dong Parish the land of 1,143 pyeong at the present parish site. With cooperation for parish establishment funds from the Korean branch of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, in September 5, 1971 it newly built a church (58.8 pyeong) and a rectory (19.6 pyeong), and later that year on September 17 was elevated to a parish, and pastoral care was entrusted to the Missionary Society of St. Columban.

[Establishment and Transformation] Macheon-dong Parish, after its establishment until May 1986 when the 4 pastor, Fr. Morrissey, was transferred, was served for about 15 years by the Missionary Society of St. Columban. The jurisdiction at the time of establishment included Macheon 1-dong and 2-dong, Geoyeo-dong, I-dong, Bangi-dong, Ogeum-dong, Munjeong-dong, Jangji-dong, Garak-dong, Songpa-dong, and Gam-1-ri, 2-ri, Hakham-ri and others in Seobu-myeon, Gwangju-gun, Gyeonggi-do. On June 1982 Garak-dong, Songpa-dong, Munjeong-dong and Jangji-dong were transferred to Jamsil Parish, and later in the same year on August part of I-dong, Bangi-dong and Ogeum-dong was transferred to Sincheon-dong Parish. The jurisdiction, mostly rice paddies and fields on the outskirts of Seoul, saw its incoming population and church strength grow rapidly as, in September 30, 1981, the decision to hold the Seoul Olympics was made and construction of the athletes’ village and stadiums began. As the building erected in the Catholic mission chapel days became greatly insufficient, construction of a new church began in August 1981 and, in November 1983, a church with a total floor area of 457 pyeong, with 1 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors (church 137 pyeong), together with a rectory, catechesis rooms, offices and others was completed and the dedication ceremony was held. On June 1985 Munjeong-dong and Jangji-dong, which had been transferred to Jamsil Parish, were transferred back to Macheon-dong Parish.

On February 1987 it purchased the land of 641 pyeong at lot 141 in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, and later that year on May built a prefabricated building of 232 pyeong to provide a hall, catechesis rooms, a management room, a basement and others, and founded the Munjeong-dong Catholic mission chapel. Immediately afterward, on June it began work to expand Macheon-dong Church and to newly build a rectory with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors, and in the following year on April expanded the church (33.8 pyeong) and provided in the new rectory building a rectory, a convent, an underground church and others. On March 1988 the Seobu-myeon area in Gyeonggi-do was transferred to Seobu Parish of the Diocese of Suwon, and on October 13, 1989 the Munjeong-dong Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Munjeong-dong Parish.

As of 1996, the pastoral organization of the parish consisted of 13 districts and 67 groups, and under the pastoral council there were lay groups and youth and student groups such as 3 curiae and 61 praesidia of the Legion of Mary, Ultreya, the Holy Spirit Prayer Group, the M.E. Bible Gathering Volunteers Association, the Bible Reading Group, the liturgy group, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Association for the Deceased, the Parents’ Choir, the Flower Offering Association, the Mothers’ Association, the altar servers group, the senior citizens’ college, the St. Joseph Association, the Marian Association, the St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon Association and others.

Noting that most of the parishioners were displaced people gathered from various places in Seoul, the first pastor, Fr. O’Hara (Ha) John, placed the early pastoral policy on fellowship among believers. The 2 pastor, Fr. Muldoon (Jo) Patrick, strengthened catechetical education, including by using a slide projector, and celebrated joint marriage sacraments several times each year. The 3 pastor, Fr. Flanagan (Gu) Joseph, emphasized the lay apostolate, formed major organizations including the pastoral committee, and encouraged participation in the Cursillo. The 4 pastor, Fr. Morrissey (Mo) Michael, opened a senior citizens’ college on October 1982 and founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul on November, and on December established the night school ‘Dasan School’ for young workers laboring in non-union factories in the Geoyeo-dong and Macheon-dong areas. The 5 pastor, Fr. Park Hang-o Martin, focused on revitalizing the district and group organization, made Dasan School independent from the parish, and, through entrance guidance leaflets distributed via daily newspapers, hanging banners, offering prospective-catechumen invitation cards, and pilgrimages to holy places by all parishioners, produced more than 1 thousand baptized persons in one year. The 6 pastor, Fr. Kim Chang-man Andrew, held Masses by district and training for district and group leaders, and held food bazaars, summer family camps, parish sports meetings, yut game contests, feasts for the elderly and others. It is recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia that the parish was planning to publish a parish 30-year history in order to review its transformation since establishment.

The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is Geoyeo 1-dong and 2-dong, Macheon 1-dong and 2-dong in Songpa-gu, and part of Ogeum-dong. The successive pastors were acting Mannion (Myeong) Francis (from September 1971 to December), first O’Hara (Ha) John (from December 1971 to February 1975), 2 Muldoon (Jo) Patrick (from February 1975 to September 1978), 3 Flanagan (Gu) Joseph (from September 1978 to June 1982), 4 Morrissey (Mo) Michael (from June 1982 to May 1986), acting Park Dong-gyun Donatus (from May 1986 to August), 5 Park Hang-o Martin (from August 1986 to September 1991), 6 Kim Chang-man Andrew (from September 1991 to October 1996), and 7 Choe Ik-cheol Benedict (from October 1996 onward). Church statistics were 719 persons in 1971, 1,634 persons in 1974, 2,888 persons in 1980, 3,063 persons in 1983, 5,082 persons in 1986, 7,128 persons in 1988, 5,462 persons in 1990, and 6,740 persons in 1994.

Architecture and Space

In September 5, 1971 a church (58.8 pyeong) and a rectory (19.6 pyeong) were newly built. The church begun in August 1981 was completed and dedicated in November 1983 with a total floor area of 457 pyeong and 1 basement floor and 2 above-ground floors (church 137 pyeong), and the expansion and rectory construction begun in June 1987 led in April 1988 to the church expansion (33.8 pyeong) and the provision of an underground church.

Religious Significance and Visiting Context

According to the Korean Catholic Directory, the women religious community serving the parish is the Sisters of the Holy Eucharist.

Related Places and Figures

• Cheonho-dong Parish: the parish from which Macheon-dong Parish was separated.
• Jamsil Parish, Sincheon-dong Parish, Munjeong-dong Parish and Seobu Parish: the parishes to which parts of Macheon-dong Parish’s jurisdiction were transferred or which were elevated or transferred from it.
• Missionary Society of St. Columban: the missionary society that served the parish from its establishment until May 1986.

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Macheon-dong Parish”. Separation and establishment from Cheonho-dong Parish on September 17, 1971, renaming from Geoyeo-dong Parish to Macheon-dong Parish (March 1981), patron Saint Augustine, the Catholic mission chapel era and church construction, jurisdictional changes, and successive priests and church statistics were verified.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1863
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory, “Macheon-dong”. The affiliated district (Songpa District No. 10 in the East Seoul Region), establishment date 1971.09.17, patron Saint Augustine, and the Sisters of the Holy Eucharist were verified.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000091&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011