Ujangsan Church

Overview

Ujangsan Church is a parish in the 17 Gangseo District of the West Seoul Region of the Seoul Archdiocese, with Saint Joseph as its patron. It was established in September 2005 as ‘Hwagok 6-dong Parish’ with Hwagok-bondong, Balsan-dong, Deungchon 1-dong and Deungchon 3-dong churches as its mother parishes, and changed its name to Ujangsan Church in February 2010 when joint pastoral care with Hwagok-bondong and Sinwol 1-dong ended. The new church, with a roof shaped as Alpha (Α) and Omega (Ω), was dedicated on September 13, 2015.

A 2015 Catholic News article wrote that the parish covers all of Hwagok 6-dong and parts of Hwagok-bondong (written as ‘Hwabok-bondong’ in the original article), Hwagok 8-dong and Ujangsan-dong, with 1643 households and 4196 faithful. The online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea lists Ujangsan Parish as belonging to the 17 Gangseo District of the West Seoul Region, with establishment date 2005.09.22, patron Saint Joseph, 4,055 faithful and 0 Catholic mission chapel, and names Father Peter Lee Gwang-hwi as pastor.

History

[Establishment of Hwagok 6-dong Parish] According to the church introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Weekly Bulletin dated November 3, 2019, Ujangsan Church (formerly Hwagok 6-dong Church) was established in September 2005 with Hwagok-bondong, Balsan-dong, Deungchon 1-dong and Deungchon 3-dong churches as its mother parishes, and divided off Sinwol 1-dong Church in 2005. The online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea gives the establishment date as 2005.09.22. According to a 2015 Peace News article, the parish, established in 2005 as ‘Hwagok 6-dong Parish,’ carried out “one roof, three families” joint ministry with Sinwol 1-dong Parish at Hwagok-bondong Church.

[Joint ministry and name change] According to the Seoul Weekly Bulletin introduction, the parish prepared a pastoral center from October 2005 to support the faith activities of the faithful and community revitalization, and changed the church name to Ujangsan Church in February 2010 when the joint ministry of Hwagok-bondong, Hwagok 6-dong and Sinwol 1-dong churches ended. A 2015 Catholic News article writes that the parish fully began building a new church in February 2010.

[Church construction] According to the Seoul Weekly Bulletin introduction, starting with the purchase of the church site in June 2010, construction began in January 2011. In 2011, a basement church was temporarily prepared, the first midday Mass was offered on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption, and the first entrance ceremony into the main sanctuary was held in October. The Peace News article reports that the new church was completed in December 2011 but could not be dedicated immediately because much of the building fund remained unpaid.

[Dedication of the church] According to the two newspaper articles, the faithful joined forces through bazaars to raise the building fund, the offering of 100 rosaries by all parishioners, and blessings through home visits to all households, and the Catholic News also introduces an outdoor Mass offered at Ujangsan Park. Peace News writes that even in these difficult circumstances the parish produced a deacon and priests for 3 consecutive years. The parish held the dedication ceremony for the new church on September 13, 2015 at 11 a.m., presided over by Cardinal Yeom Su-jeong, Archbishop of Seoul, and Peace News describes this as 10 years after the parish establishment. The Catholic News reports that then chairman John Choi Yeong-deok expressed joy at being able to fully dedicate the house of God through the Lord’s help and the prayers and dedication of all the faithful.

Architecture and Space

According to a 2015 Catholic News article, the new church has a site area of 1412㎡ and a building area of 697.89㎡, and is equipped with a rectory, main sanctuary, adoration chapel, catechesis rooms, café, sky park and others. For stories, the Catholic News gives 1 basement floors and 5 above-ground floors, while Peace News gives 1 basement floors and 4 above-ground floors. Peace News describes the floor layout as dining hall and parking in the basement, offices, rectory, adoration chapel and religious-goods shop on the 1 floor, café, rectory and catechesis rooms on the 2 floor, main sanctuary, infant room and confessional on the 3 floor, and choir practice room, convent, pastoral meeting room and sky park on the 4 floor. The church roof was built to represent Alpha (Α) and Omega (Ω), meaning that God and Jesus Christ are the first and the last, the Creator and the Completer, and the Catholic News explains that it thus embodies God’s eternity and fullness.

Related Places and People

• Hwagok-bondong, Balsan-dong, Deungchon 1-dong and Deungchon 3-dong churches: parishes that the Seoul Weekly Bulletin introduction lists as the mother parishes of Ujangsan Church.
• Sinwol 1-dong Church: according to the Seoul Weekly Bulletin, it was divided from Ujangsan Church in 2005, and carried out joint ministry with Hwagok-bondong and Hwagok 6-dong churches until February 2010.
• Ujangsan Park: the place where outdoor Mass was offered during the period of raising the church building fund.
• Cardinal Yeom Su-jeong: presided over the dedication ceremony for the new church on September 13, 2015.

References and Sources

1. Good News Catholic Gallery, “Ujangsan Church of the Seoul Archdiocese” (containing the church introduction on page 1 of the Seoul Weekly Bulletin dated November 3, 2019). Former Hwagok 6-dong Church, establishment in September 2005 and mother parishes, division of Sinwol 1-dong Church, pastoral center in 2005, end of joint ministry and name change in February 2010, site purchase in 2010, start of construction, first midday Mass and entrance ceremony into the main sanctuary in 2011.
   https://photo.catholic.or.kr/albumm/view.asp?af=11&id=94372&menu=4
2. Good News Catholic Gallery, “Exterior of Ujangsan Church of the Seoul Archdiocese” (containing the new church dedication articles by reporter Kim Shin-hye in Catholic News on September 13, 2015 and reporter Baek Seul-gi in Peace News on September 13, 2015). Dedication on September 13, 2015, building size and floor layout, Alpha-Omega roof, raising of the building fund, joint ministry, jurisdiction and number of faithful.
   https://photo.catholic.or.kr/albumm/view.asp?af=11&id=71049&menu=4
3. Online directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Ujangsan”. District, establishment date, patron, number of faithful, number of mission chapels, pastor.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000198&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011