Mok 3-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Mok 3-dong Church is a parish in Yangcheon District No. 18 in the West Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, and its patron is the Holy Cross. Originally the Deungchon-dong Parish established in June 1973 by separation from Mok-dong Parish, after 10 years of entrusted ministry by the Columban Missionary Society it was transferred to the Archdiocese of Seoul in 1984, and in 2008 it changed its name to Mok 3-dong Church as its location became Mok 3-dong, Yangcheon-gu through administrative reorganization.

The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists Mok 3-dong Parish as belonging to Yangcheon District No. 18 in the West Seoul Region, with date of establishment 1973.06.14, patron Holy Cross, number of faithful 5,933, and number of Catholic mission chapels 0. The community of sisters serving the parish is the Sisters of the Holy Word, and it records parish priest Father Antonio Kang Jin-hyeong and assistant parish priest Father Dominic Im Hyeon-ho.

History

[Mission-chapel period] According to the “Deungchon-dong Parish” entry in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Deungchon-dong, Mok-dong and Yeomchang-dong area under Yeongdeungpo Parish (now Dorim-dong) was a quiet rural area with few residents and faithful. For this reason the area came under Dangsan-dong Parish in June 1957, Hwagok-dong Parish in March 1969, and Mok-dong Parish in July 1972. In the late 1960s, as a new town formed around Deungchon-dong and incoming residents and faithful increased, in 1971 the Columban Missionary Society surveyed the site and purchased 289 pyeong of land at the present parish site, and the following year in September built a 51-pyeong hall and in October established the Deungchon-dong Catholic mission chapel belonging to Mok-dong Parish. The church introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Bulletin dated April 9, 2017 also states that as population grew in the 1960s, in 1971 the Columban Missionary Society purchased land at the present site and opened a mission chapel.

[Parish establishment] The mission chapel was raised and separated as a parish in June 1973 as the number of faithful surged through active evangelization and population growth under the urban plan. The date of establishment is given differently in each source. The “Deungchon-dong Parish” entry states that it was separated and established from Mok-dong Parish on June 24, 1973, the “Mok-dong Parish” entry in the same encyclopedia states that Mok-dong Parish separated Deungchon-dong Parish on June 27, 1973, and the directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea gives the date of establishment as 1973.06.14. The Seoul Bulletin introduction states that it was established in June 1973 with Mok-dong Church as its mother parish.

[Columban ministry period and church construction] According to the encyclopedia, together with the parish establishment a rectory (24 pyeong) and offices (5 pyeong) were built, expansion of the church began in July 1976 and a church with total floor area of 200 pyeong and 2 stories was completed and blessed on November 27 of the following year. In November 1981 the church and rectory were expanded and renovated, and in December 1983 a convent with total floor area of 105 pyeong was newly built on a site of 62 pyeong. In October 1985 it was converted for use as an education center and instead 2 houses were purchased for use as a convent and assistant priest’s rectory, and in February 1987 an adjacent house was additionally purchased and remodeled into catechism rooms and a library. In June 1983 a branch of the Society of the Holy Word was installed. From the founding pastor Father Francis Manion (1973.6-1974.4) through the 2 pastor Father Michael Nallon (1974.4-1977.2), the 3 pastor Father Gerardo Ellis (1977.2-1979.1), the 4 pastor Father Brendan Kennedy (1979.1-1980.11), to the 5 pastor Father John Smith (in the encyclopedia notation 1980.1-1984.5), Columban priests served as pastors. The Seoul Bulletin introduction states that pastoral activity over 5 terms by the Columban Missionary Society laid the foundation for the church’s development.

[Transfer to the diocese and division of the parish] According to the encyclopedia, in May 1984 jurisdiction was transferred from the Columban Missionary Society, which had been in charge of entrusted ministry for 10 years, to the Archdiocese of Seoul. With the appointment of the 6 pastor Father John Chrysostom Park No-heon, systematic pastoral activity was developed, and in December 1984 the No. 1 inter-district choir competition as well as outdoor and neighborhood events were held to build the capacity of local communities in preparation for parish division. On this basis land for the branch of Deungchon 1-dong Parish was purchased in October 1985, and in January 1986, with the construction of Mok 5-dong Parish as premise, the Mok 1-dong Catholic mission chapel was established. In August 1986 Deungchon 1-dong Parish was separated, and in February 1987 the Mok 1-dong Catholic mission chapel was raised to Mok 5-dong Parish and separated. The Seoul Bulletin introduction also states that Deungchon 1-dong Church was divided in 1986.

[Activities in the 1980-1990s] According to the encyclopedia, the parish regularly published a directory of faithful from 1985, established the parish patron Holy Cross award in September 1986 to honor exemplary individuals and groups each year, founded a credit union in December of the same year, and opened a parish-affiliated senior college in April 1988. In March 1989 a parish-level One Heart One Body movement headquarters was launched, and in July it participated in the blood donation event for the 44 World Eucharistic Congress. In 1993 it marked the 20 anniversary of parish establishment, and in February 1995 a street evangelization group was launched. The encyclopedia records church strength as in 1973 787, in 1978 1,589, in 1983 4,704, in 1988 5,967, in 1993 5,962, and in 1995 6,557, and records as pastors after the transfer to the diocese the 6 pastor John Chrysostom Park No-heon (1984.5-1987.2), the 7 pastor Andrea Kim Dae-geon Choe Ju-ho (1987.2-1992.2), the 8 pastor Thaddeus Lee Sang-jun (1992.2-9), and the 9 pastor Raphael Baek Eun-gi (1992.9-). The jurisdiction at that time was Deungchon 2-dong, Gangseo-gu and Mok 2-4-dong, Yangcheon-gu.

[Renaming to Mok 3-dong Church] According to the Seoul Bulletin introduction, the address at establishment was Deungchon-dong, but in 1988 it was reorganized to Mok 3-dong, Yangcheon-gu, and accordingly in 2008 the name was changed to Mok 3-dong Church. The encyclopedia also gives the location of Deungchon-dong Parish as Mok 3-dong, Yangcheon-gu 626-15.

Related places and people

• Mok-dong Church: the mother parish of Mok 3-dong Church (Deungchon-dong Parish). The Deungchon-dong mission chapel was established belonging to Mok-dong Parish.
• Deungchon 1-dong Church: separated from Deungchon-dong Parish in August 1986.
• Mok 5-dong Church: the Mok 1-dong Catholic mission chapel established in January 1986 was raised to Mok 5-dong Parish and separated in February 1987.
• Columban Missionary Society: purchased the mission-chapel site in 1971 and was in charge of parish ministry until transfer to the Archdiocese of Seoul in May 1984.
• Society of the Holy Word: according to the encyclopedia, a branch was installed in the parish in June 1983. The bishops’ directory gives the parish’s sisters as the Sisters of the Holy Word.

References and sources

1. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Deungchon-dong Parish”. Mission-chapel period, establishment on June 24, 1973, church construction and expansion, convent, transfer from the Columbans to the diocese, parish divisions, activities, church strength, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1526
2. Good News parish information “Mok 3-dong” page (containing the church introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Bulletin dated April 9, 2017). Former Deungchon-dong Church, establishment in June 1973 and mother parish, division of Deungchon 1-dong Church, administrative reorganization in 1988 and renaming in 2008, opening of a mission chapel by the Columbans in 1971, transfer to the diocese in 1984.
   https://maria.catholic.or.kr/mobile/church/bondang_view.asp?orgnum=263
3. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Mok-dong Parish”. Separation of Deungchon-dong Parish on June 27, 1973.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2054
4. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Mok 3-dong”. District, date of establishment, patron, number of faithful, number of mission chapels, sisters, parish and assistant priests.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000099&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011