Suyu 1-dong Church

Overview

Suyu-1-dong Church is a parish belonging to No. 6 Dobong-Gangbuk District in the Central Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, it was separated and established from Suyu-dong Parish on August 16, 1983, and its patron is St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon.

History

〔Background of Foundation〕 From the late 1970s, as the population began to increase along the Bukhansan valley called ‘Ppalraetgol’ within the jurisdiction of Suyu-dong Parish, the diocese drew up a plan to divide the parish, and on August 16, 1983, it established Suyu-1-dong Parish. After preparing a temporary church on the present church site transferred from Suyu-dong Parish, the first pastor, Father Joseph Jo Gun-ho, published a booklet titled 《Biblical Study Materials for the Parish Community》 and worked to promote family-based Bible study.

〔Construction of the New Church〕 As the number of the faithful grew, the parish planned the construction of a new church, began work on March 8, 1987, and completed on April 29, 1989 a church with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors (905 pyeong). It purchased adjacent houses totaling 100 pyeong, 1 buildings, and used them as meeting rooms and catechesis rooms, and from 1987, while the church was being built, it set up an ‘Aedeok Room’ to help neighbors in need.

〔Later History〕 Under the 2th pastor, Father Nicholas Jang Deok-pil, in 1994, the mortuary ‘House of Resurrection’ was prepared inside the church, and from September 1990 to August 1993, writings by parishioners were collected and published each month as a booklet titled 《Muneomi》. The 3th pastor, Father Ludovicus Jang Dae-ik, carried out stained-glass work in the church in 1995 and reorganized it into a small-community structure of 16 zones and 95 groups. The 4th pastor, Father Michael Jeong Sun-o, contributed to the ecumenical movement through continuous exchange with Protestant churches in the area, and from September 15, 1999, took over the operation of the free meal center ‘House of Peter,’ operated by District No. 6.

〔Church Statistics and Successive Pastors〕 The numbers of the faithful given in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are for 1983 2,126 persons, for 1989 3,931 persons, for 1993 4,094 persons, and for 1999 4,925 persons. The successive pastors are recorded as the first, Joseph Jo Gun-ho (1983. 8~1989. 10), the 2th, Nicholas Jang Deok-pil (1989. 10~1994. 8), the 3th, Ludovicus Jang Dae-ik (1994. 8~1998. 9), the 4th, Michael Jeong Sun-o (1998. 9~1999. 11), and the 5th, Raimundus Lee Jong-nam (1999. 11~).

Jurisdiction and Affiliation

The jurisdictional area noted in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers all of Suyu-1·5-dong and parts of Suyu-3-dong and Mia-3-dong. The online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists the affiliated diocese as the Archdiocese of Seoul, the region and district as No. 6 Dobong-Gangbuk District in the Central Seoul Region, the date of establishment as 1983.08.16, the religious congregation as the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the patron as St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon.

Related Places and People

• Suyu-dong Parish: It is the mother parish of Suyu-1-dong Parish, and in August 1983 it divided off Suyu-1-dong Parish and Beon-dong Parish.
• Ppalraetgol: It is the area where the population grew along the Bukhansan valley and prompted the division of the parish.
• House of Peter: It is a free meal center operated by District No. 6, whose operation was taken over by Suyu-1-dong Parish from September 15, 1999.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Suyu-1-dong Parish”. Separation and establishment from Suyu-dong Parish on August 16, 1983, patron St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon, jurisdictional area, background of parish foundation, construction of the church (1987~1989), church statistics, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3739
2. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Suyu-1-dong”. Affiliated diocese and district (No. 6 Dobong-Gangbuk District in the Central Seoul Region), date of establishment 1983.08.16, religious congregation (Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), patron St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000158&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011