Pungnap-dong Church

Overview

Pungnap-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 9 Gangdong District in the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. On February 4, 1989, it was separated from Cheonho-dong Parish and established, and its patron is Saint Paul Chong Hasang. It is a place where the Pungnap-dong Catholic mission chapel, established in 1988 in a shopping arcade in Seongnae-dong, was elevated to a parish after 1 years, and on October 1999, a church with 2 basement floors and 4 above-ground floors was dedicated.

History

〔Background of Establishment〕 Cheonho-dong Parish, established in 1958, was overseeing the Songpa and Gangdong areas when apartment complexes were built in the late 1970s and the number of believers grew rapidly. Cheonho-dong Parish established parishes in Amsa-dong, Dunchon-dong, Gil-dong and elsewhere in succession, but was unable to build a church in the Pungnap-dong and Seongnae-dong areas due to lack of funds and other reasons. Father Thomas O Tae-sun, the 10 parish priest of Cheonho-dong Parish, reported that a Catholic mission chapel should first be installed in Pungnap-dong and Seongnae-dong and pushed ahead with it.

〔Establishment of the Catholic Mission Chapel〕 Believers in Pungnap-dong and Seongnae-dong formed a committee to promote a Catholic mission chapel in early February 1987 and on February 27 secured land of 700 pyeong at lot 339-1 in Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu. On February 1988, they leased 189 pyeong on the 3 floor of the Dongsin shopping arcade at lot 108-11 in Seongnae-dong and established the Pungnap-dong Catholic mission chapel, and later that year on October the first Mass was celebrated with Bishop Paul Kim Ok-gyun presiding. At that time the number of believers was 1,502 households and 3,902 persons divided from Cheonho-dong Parish, and the jurisdiction was Pungnap 1 and 2-dong and Seongnae-dong. On December the pastoral council was formally organized.

〔Elevation to Parish and Early Pastoral Care〕 On February 1989, 1 years after its designation as a Catholic mission chapel, it was elevated to a parish, and Father Joseph Lee Jae-cheol took office as the first parish priest. From April 1989 to June, this priest conducted visits to the homes of all believers, and in accordance with the policy of 'harmony and unity of believers and raising the level of faith of believers through education,' he led pilgrimages to holy places and Bible study. To raise funds for building a new church, a bazaar was held on October 1990 and recyclables were collected from April 1991 onward, and on August 1993 additional land was secured at lots 412-3 and 4 in Pungnap 2-dong. That same year, a photo exhibition commemorating the 5 anniversary of the elevation to parish was held on October, and a hymn contest was held on November.

〔Construction of the New Church〕 During the tenure of Father Andrew Ju Sang-bae, the 2 parish priest, a bazaar to raise funds for building a new church was held on October 1995, and on November 12 a groundbreaking ceremony for the church was held on the site at lot 339-1 in Pungnap 2-dong, attended by Bishop Andrew Choi Chang-mu. On February 1998, the parish was moved from the 3 floor of the Dongsin shopping arcade to the underground parking lot of the church under construction, and in May a 'Nine-Day Prayer for Families' was held to pray for overcoming the economic difficulties caused by the IMF. On October 1999, after 4 years of construction, a church with 2 basement floors and 4 above-ground floors was completed and a dedication ceremony was held with Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk presiding, and on August 2000 the book 《History of Pungnap-dong Parish for 10 Years》 was published.

〔Separation of Seongnae-dong Parish〕 During the tenure of Father Peter Song Gyeong-seop, the 3 parish priest, lot 527 in Seongnae-dong was purchased on January 2001 to establish a new parish in the Seongnae-dong area, and when Seongnae-dong Parish was established on September 2002, the Seongnae 1 and 2-dong areas under its jurisdiction were transferred to it. On May 2003, Pungnap-dong Parish was selected as the outstanding parish at the 9 District Grand Festival of the Archdiocese of Seoul.

〔Church Strength and Successive Parish Priests〕 The numbers of believers recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 4,619 in 1990, 5,749 in 1995, 5,853 in 1999, and 3,284 in 2004. The successive parish priests are recorded as the first Joseph Lee Jae-cheol (1989. 2~1994. 8), the 2 Andrew Ju Sang-bae (1994. 8~2000. 9), the 3 Peter Song Gyeong-seop (2000. 9~2005. 9), and the 4 Raymundo Kim Myeong-seop (2005. 9~).

Jurisdiction and Affiliation

The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is Pungnap 1 and 2-dong. In the online directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, it is listed with founding date 1989.02.04, patron Saint Paul Chong Hasang, women's religious community Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs, and belonging to the 9 Gangdong District in the East Seoul Region.

Related Places and People

• Cheonho-dong Parish: Established in 1958, it is the mother parish from which Pungnap-dong Parish was separated.
• Seongnae-dong Parish: Established on September 2002, it received Seongnae 1 and 2-dong from Pungnap-dong Parish.
• Amsa-dong, Dunchon-dong and Gil-dong Parishes: These are parishes established from Cheonho-dong Parish before Pungnap-dong.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, "Pungnap-dong Parish". Separation and establishment from Cheonho-dong Parish on February 4, 1989, patron Saint Paul Chong Hasang, jurisdiction, establishment of the Catholic mission chapel and elevation to parish, groundbreaking in 1995 and dedication in 1999, separation of Seongnae-dong Parish, church strength, successive parish priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/6571
2. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, "Pungnap-dong". Affiliated diocese and district (the 9 Gangdong District in the East Seoul Region), founding date 1989.02.04, women's religious community (Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs), patron.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000238&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011