St. Raphael Love Knot Catholic Church

Overview

Saint Raphael Saranggyeol Church is a church in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, belonging to the Archdiocese of Seoul, and is the only church in the Archdiocese of Seoul for the visually impaired. Beginning in 1979 as the lay association, the Seoul Catholic Mission for the Visually Impaired, it was elevated to a quasi-parish in February 2011, and its patron is Saint Raphael, presented as the guardian angel of the visually impaired.

History

[Seoul Catholic Mission for the Visually Impaired (1979–2011)] The Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia states that this church began in 1979 as the lay association, the Seoul Catholic Mission for the Visually Impaired, and records the mission’s original place of establishment as 12-5 in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu. Its founding purpose is mission to the visually impaired.

[Elevation to quasi-parish (2011)] The Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia states that, on the 32th anniversary of the Seoul Catholic Mission for the Visually Impaired, it was newly established in February 2011 as a quasi-parish under the name ‘Visually Impaired (Quasi-)Church.’ The parish introduction on Good News Club describes it as “a church for the visually impaired, the only one in the Archdiocese of Seoul, established on February 9, 2011,” and states that its official name is ‘Catholic Saint Raphael Saranggyeol Church,’ while the directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea also lists its date of establishment as February 9, 2011. The Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia describes this church as the only church for the visually impaired belonging to the Archdiocese of Seoul.

[Church space and office moves] According to the Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia, Sunday Mass is celebrated in the large auditorium on basement level 1 of the Hasang Welfare Center for Persons with Disabilities in Gaepo-dong, and the parish and mission offices are on the 2 floor of the center. According to parish notices, on April 8, 2016, the parish office moved to Room 605-2 on the 6 floor of Seoktap Plaza next to the Hasang Welfare Center for Persons with Disabilities, and on March 10, 2023, it moved again to the 3 floor of Hyeongil Building at 38 Irwon-ro 9-gil. Weekday parish business is conducted at this office.

[Number of faithful] The Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia records 196 faithful as of 2016, and the directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists 224 faithful.

Jurisdiction and Affiliation

The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists its affiliation as the Gangnam District No. 11 in the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, its patron as Saint Raphael, its number of Catholic mission chapels as 0, and its pastor as Father Joseph Kim Yong-tae. The Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia explains that after the Sunday Mass at 11 o’clock, those who attended Mass share lunch together in the cafeteria of the welfare center.

Related Places and Persons

• Hasang Welfare Center for Persons with Disabilities: located in Gaepo-dong, it is the welfare center where the Sunday Mass of Saint Raphael Saranggyeol Church is held (Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia).
• Seoul Catholic Mission for the Visually Impaired: a lay association begun in 1979 and the predecessor of this church (Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia).
• Saint Raphael: the patron of this church, presented as the guardian angel of the visually impaired (Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Digital Gangnam Culture Encyclopedia, “Visually Impaired (Quasi-)Church”. Mission beginnings in 1979, elevation to quasi-parish in February 2011, patron saint, number of faithful in 2016.
   https://www.grandculture.net/gangnam/toc/GC04801227
2. Good News Club, Catholic Saint Raphael Saranggyeol Church. Established on February 9, 2011; the only church in the Archdiocese of Seoul for the visually impaired.
   https://club.catholic.or.kr/rapael
3. Good News Club Saint Raphael Saranggyeol Church notice, “Notice of Office Move” (posted in 2016.4.20). Office move on April 8, 2016.
   https://club.catholic.or.kr/community/bbs/read.asp?schcode=rapael&table=notice&asp=notice.asp&id=72
4. Good News Club Saint Raphael Saranggyeol Church notice, “Notice of Office Move” (posted in 2024.9.11). Office move on March 10, 2023.
   https://club.catholic.or.kr/community/bbs/read.asp?schcode=rapael&table=notice&asp=notice.asp&id=75
5. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Saint Raphael Saranggyeol (Quasi-)”. District affiliation, date of establishment, patron, number of faithful, pastor.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201005623&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011