Sinjeong 3-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Sinjeong 3-dong Church is a parish belonging to Yangcheon District No. 18 in the West Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, and its titular is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Beginning as the Yeonuigol Catholic mission chapel established in the Sinwol 3-dong area by Sinwol-dong Parish in 1990, it went through the Neomeundeul mission chapel period and was elevated to a parish in September 2002 with Sinwoldong Church as its mother parish, completed its church building in July 2006, and celebrated the dedication of the church in May 2008.

The address book of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea lists Sinjeong 3-dong Parish as belonging to Yangcheon District No. 18 in the West Seoul Region, with the foundation date as 2002.09.19, the titular as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the number of faithful as 2,248, the number of mission chapels as 0, and names Father Kim Gang-seo Ireneo as pastor.

History

[Yeonuigol Mission Chapel] According to the “Sinwol-dong Parish” entry in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Sinwol-dong Parish prepared a building of 103 pyeong in the Sinwol 3-dong area, located in the triangular area of Sinjeong-dong Parish, Oryu-dong Parish and Sinwol-dong Parish where many had difficulty living the faith, on April 17, 1990, and then established the “Yeonuigol Mission Chapel.” The Yeonuigol Mission Chapel strove to build a community walking together with the local society by operating a children’s house (it was already closed at the time the encyclopedia was written). The encyclopedia records the mission chapel under Sinwol-dong Parish as 1 Yeonuigol chapel. The church introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Bulletin dated August 25, 2019 also states that Sinjeong 3-dong Church began in May 1990 as the Yeonuigol Mission Chapel of Sinwoldong Church.

[Neomeundeul Mission Chapel] According to the Seoul Bulletin introduction, the Yeonuigol mission chapel expanded its ground floor and basement 1 years later to celebrate mission chapel Masses, and 5 years later, in April 1995, it changed its name to the Neomeundeul Mission Chapel and remained in the same place for 12 years.

[Elevation to Parish and Construction of the Church] According to the same introduction, as the number of faithful grew with the construction of nearby apartment complexes, the mission chapel was elevated to Sinjeong 3-dong Church in September 2002, with Sinwoldong Church as its mother parish. The address book of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea records the foundation date as 2002.09.19. The parish celebrated the groundbreaking Mass in July 2005 and completed its church building in July 2006, and celebrated the dedication of the church in May 2008.

Related Places and Figures

• Sinwoldong Church: the mother parish of Sinjeong 3-dong Church, which established the Yeonuigol Mission Chapel in 1990. According to the encyclopedia, Sinwol-dong Parish was separated from Sinjeong-dong Parish and established on August 1, 1984.
• Yeonuigol and Neomeundeul Mission Chapels: the predecessor mission chapels of Sinjeong 3-dong Church, whose name changed from Yeonuigol to Neomeundeul in April 1995.

References and Sources

1. Good News Parish Information “Sinjeong 3-dong” page (containing the church introduction from page 1 of the Seoul Bulletin dated August 25, 2019). Beginning as Yeonuigol mission chapel, expansion of the mission chapel, renaming to Neomeundeul mission chapel, elevation in September 2002 and mother parish, groundbreaking in 2005, completion in 2006, dedication of the church in 2008.
   https://maria.catholic.or.kr/mobile/church/bondang_view.asp?orgnum=884
2. Korean Institute for Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Sinwol-dong Parish.” Background of the establishment of the Yeonuigol Mission Chapel in the Sinwol 3-dong area on April 17, 1990, operation of the children’s house, and establishment of Sinwol-dong Parish.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3954
3. Online address book of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, “Sinjeong 3-dong.” District affiliation, foundation date, titular, number of faithful, number of mission chapels, pastor.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000173&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011