신정3동 성당

History & origins

The history of Sinjeong 3-dong Catholic Church begins in May 1990, when Sinwol-dong Parish established the Yeonuigol mission station in the Sinjeong 3-dong area. The distance from the mother parish and the growth of local housing made a nearby place for Mass and catechesis increasingly necessary. The mission community expanded as the Catholic population grew, and in April 1995 it took the name Neomeungol mission station. For roughly twelve years before parish independence, it served as a local pastoral center under Sinwol-dong Parish.

As apartment development and population growth enlarged the community, the Archdiocese of Seoul established Sinjeong 3-dong Parish on September 19, 2002. The history of Sinwol-dong Parish records that 229 households and 615 Catholics were transferred to the new parish that same day. Dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the new parish organized independent liturgical and pastoral life on the foundation built during the mission years. This was not simply a change of name but the elevation of a long-prepared local community to full parish status.

After independence, the parish moved toward construction of a permanent church. A Seoul Archdiocese weekly bulletin records a groundbreaking Mass in July 2005, completion of the church in July 2006, and its dedication in May 2008. The sequence of Yeonuigol mission, Neomeungol mission, parish elevation, and church construction forms the core of Sinjeong 3-dong's history. Today's parish preserves the continuity of faith inherited from Sinwol-dong while serving its own living area. Remembering the earlier mission names and locations also makes clear that the parish was built gradually through years of local preparation rather than appearing suddenly in 2002.