성령 쇄신 봉사 회관

History & origins

Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Korea began to take a visible form in the early 1970s. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Korea's first Charismatic seminar was held for four days beginning on May 28, 1971, at a convent in Oryu-dong, after which prayer groups and seminars spread to other regions. On December 5, 1976, a nationwide service organization was formed, providing a framework for linking and supporting Charismatic Renewal activities within the Church.

Within this wider development, the Seoul Archdiocese Charismatic Renewal service continued prayer meetings, formation, retreats, and the training of lay servants. The current Catholic directory lists both the Seoul archdiocesan Charismatic Renewal organization and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service Hall at 62 Jowon-jungang-ro 2-gil, Gwanak-gu; the hall is classified as an education and retreat facility. This shows that the ministry came to operate as an archdiocesan apostolate rather than merely as a group attached to one parish.

The hall continues to serve as a place of common prayer and formation for Catholics involved in Charismatic Renewal. Activities such as the regular prayer meeting announced by the Seoul archdiocesan service organization show that praise, prayer, and Scripture-centered gatherings continue there. The official and Church sources reviewed for this project, however, do not establish the exact date when the Sillim-dong hall first opened or when the organization moved to its present address.

For that reason, the history of the place is best understood within the broader development that began with the Korean Charismatic Renewal in the 1970s and the growth of the Seoul archdiocesan service organization. Rather than assigning an unverified opening year to the building, the clearest historical continuity is that the site now functions as an archdiocesan center for prayer, education, and retreats.