Samsungsan Catholic Church

Overview

Samsungsan Church is a parish belonging to the No. 13 Gwanak District of the West Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. It was separated and established from Sillim-dong Parish on September 24, 1992, and administers the Samsungsan Shrine, a historic site related to the Gihae Persecution within its jurisdiction.

History

〔Before establishment〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, around April 1979, faithful living in Sillim 10-dong, over 10 people, began gathering in a private home for regular prayer meetings, and on July 18 of the following year they purchased and remodeled a house in Sillim 10-dong, lot 79, and opened the ‘House of Love’ on July 27. Here professors and students of the College of Medicine of the Catholic University of Korea gave free medical care to residents, and the faithful ran a Sunday school for nearby children and sought evangelization through service. From in March 1981 priests of the Missionary Society of St. Columban were dispatched to help with volunteer work and celebrate Mass, and on August 17, 1982 the faithful purchased the basement of a commercial building in Sillim 10-dong, lot 311-1, to provide a temporary church. In September 1983 they purchased land in Sillim 10-dong, lot 79, to build a rectory.

〔Establishment of the parish〕 As the number of faithful in Sillim-dong Parish continued to grow and a proposal that division of the parish was unavoidable was submitted to the diocese, Samsungsan Parish was established on September 24, 1992, and Father Seo Chun-bae Augustino was appointed as the first pastor. The parish homepage history records this day as the day Samsungsan Parish was established, separated from Sillim-dong Church, and gives the place as, in Sillim 10-dong, 311-1, the basement shopping arcade of Samdu APT. The same history lists the arrival on October 8, 1992 of the first pastor Father Seo Chun-bae and the first assistant Father Jo Jae-yeon Pius, and the formation on December 25 of the first pastoral council (chairman Kim Seok-yong Cornelio).

〔Construction of the new church〕 The encyclopedia states that because the temporary church in use was small, the parish purchased 287 pyeong of land at the site of the present church in September 1993 and began construction of a new church in February 1995. The parish homepage history states that on August 19, 1993 it purchased, in Sillim 10-dong, 300-6, 287 pyeong of land for a new church, and that on November 27, 1994 a groundbreaking ceremony for the church construction and a celebratory Mass attended by Bishop Kim Ok-gyun Paul were held. In February 1996 a convent of the Sisters of Christian Education was established (homepage: on February 16 Sister Kim Cho-young Josefina and 2 others arrived as the first superior and community), and on November 30, 1997 the community moved into the new church and celebrated the first Mass. There is a record of completion of the new church on November 23, 1998, and Archbishop Jeong Jin-seok Nicholas celebrated the dedication of the church on October 10, 1999. The encyclopedia states that in May 1998 a church of 980 pyeong in size, with 3 basement floors and 6 above-ground floors, was completed, so the stated date of completion differs by source.

〔Later history〕 According to the homepage history, Father Park Seong-chil Michael took office as the 2 pastor on March 6, 1998, and Father Kim Sang-guk Gregory took office as the 3 pastor on March 5, 2002. On October 12, 2002 the symposium ‘Samsungsan Shrine and the Movement to Honor the Martyrs’ commemorating the 10 anniversary of the establishment of the parish was held, and on October 13, during the parish Mass, the 10 anniversary ceremony was held. Afterwards Father O Se-man Paul on September 5, 2006, Father Lee Cheol-hak Paul as the 6 pastor on February 17, 2009, Father Kim Nam-won Andrew as the 7 pastor on February 18, 2014, and Father Kim Chung-seop Daegeon Andrew as the 8 pastor on February 12, 2019 took office as pastors. On April 29, 2018 Cardinal Yeom Su-jeong presided at the Mass for the blessing of the shrine at Samsungsan Shrine.

〔Samsungsan Shrine〕 According to the shrine history on the parish homepage, in the spring of 1970, Father O Gi-seon, pastor of Daebang-dong Parish, found the gravesite on Samsungsan, erected the ‘Samsungsan Martyrs’ Shrine Monument’ on May 12 and held a blessing ceremony. On September 6, 1981 the faithful of Sillim-dong Parish held an unveiling ceremony for the tombstones of the three Blesseds and a commemorative Mass, and on September 29, 1982 the ‘Committee for the Development of Samsungsan as a Sacred Place’ was formed, and in 1984, the year of the canonization, the diocese and Sillim-dong Parish purchased over 15,800 pyeong of land around the shrine. On September 10, 1989 the tombs of the saints were newly arranged and a blessing of the tombs was held, and with the establishment of Samsungsan Parish on September 24, 1992, the care of the shrine was entrusted to this parish. The same page states that a shrine Mass is offered every Sunday at 11 o’clock and a Mass in honor of the martyrs is offered on the 21st of every month.

〔Church membership〕 In 1993 there were 4,348 faithful, and in 1996 there were 5,051 faithful. Pastors recorded by the encyclopedia are the first, Seo Chun-bae Augustino (1992. 9~1998. 2), and Park Seong-chil Michael (1998. 2~). The encyclopedia states that since its establishment it has devoted itself to evangelization activities and to vitalizing lay apostolate groups.

Jurisdiction and Affiliation

The jurisdiction recorded by the encyclopedia is Sillim 6-, 9- and 10-dong. The online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists the belonging diocese as the Archdiocese of Seoul, the region/district as the No. 13 Gwanak District of the West Seoul Region, the date of establishment as 1992.09.24, and the religious congregation as the Sisters of Christian Education, and in the patron field it states ‘Holy Trinity, St. Imbert, St. Maubant, St. Chastan Church’.

Related Places and People

• Sillim-dong Parish: The mother parish from which Samsungsan Parish was separated.
• Samsungsan Shrine: A historic site related to the Gihae Persecution within the parish jurisdiction, with a separate document in the place encyclopedia.
• House of Love: A free medical care and Sunday school base opened in Sillim 10-dong in 1980.
• Missionary Society of St. Columban: The missionary society that dispatched priests from 1981 to assist with Mass and volunteer work.
• Father Seo Chun-bae Augustino: The first pastor.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Samsungsan Parish”. Separated and established from Sillim-dong Parish on September 24, 1992, jurisdiction, membership, successive priests, pre-establishment House of Love and temporary church, construction of church, management of Samsungsan Shrine.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3041
2. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Samsungsan”. Belonging diocese and district (No. 13 Gwanak District of the West Seoul Region), date of establishment 1992.09.24, religious congregation, patron notation.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000126&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011
3. Samsungsan Church, “Parish History”. From 1992 to 2021 parish establishment, purchase of land for new church construction and groundbreaking, moving into, completion and dedication of new church, arrivals of pastors, 10 anniversary events.
   https://www.ssssd.or.kr/?page_id=1920
4. Samsungsan Church, “Shrine History”. Monument erection at Samsungsan Shrine in 1970, sacralization work in 1981~1989, management of shrine by parish in 1992.
   https://www.ssssd.or.kr/?page_id=1969