Wangsimni Catholic Church

Overview

Wangsimni Church is a parish belonging to the 8 Seongdong-Gwangjin District in the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Hongik-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia of Korea, it was separated and established from the Sindang-dong parish in November 1959, and its patron is the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It began as the Wangsimni Catholic mission chapel, built by purchasing company houses owned by the Korea Electric Power Corporation with the support of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, and it is the parish that gave rise to the Ttukseom Catholic mission chapel (Seongsu-dong parish) and the Haengdang-dong parish.

History

[Establishment of the mission chapel and elevation to parish] In 1959, the Sindang-dong parish had jurisdiction over the entire southeastern part of Seoul and was so vast that the faithful east of Wangsimni had difficulty attending Mass. Therefore, on April 13 of that year, with the support of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, Father B. Geraghty purchased 1 company houses owned by the Korea Electric Power Corporation and established the Wangsimni Catholic mission chapel belonging to the Sindang-dong parish. At the time of its establishment, there were about 29 households and 100 faithful, the first Mass was celebrated by Father Kim Chang-mun (Joseph), pastor of the Sindang-dong parish, and on Sundays Father Geraghty also celebrated together. Through Father Geraghty, the faithful repeatedly petitioned the Seoul archdiocesan office for elevation to parish status, and on November 16, 1959, the Wangsimni area was separated from the Sindang-dong parish to establish a new parish, with Father Geraghty appointed as the first pastor. The parish continued to use the mission hall as its church and used a renovated office building across the street as the rectory. Its jurisdiction at the time extended from the Sindang-dong intersection to the south of Cheonggyecheon and east of Junggok-dong, as well as to the east of Haengdang-dong.

[Early growth] As its jurisdiction was too vast, the Ttukseom Catholic mission chapel was prepared in 1960, but as the congregation grew a larger church became necessary. In 1961, a new church was completed on the present parish site, in April of the same year its patron was named 'Sacred Heart of Jesus,' and on October 24 the first Confirmation was celebrated by Bishop Noh Gi-nam. On July 30, 1962, a large bell was purchased with funds from 70 women fellow parishioners, named 'Saint Alphonsus' and blessed. Devotional groups were founded, including the Praesidium of the Refuge of Sinners (August 1959), the Praesidium of Queen of Peace (January 1962), the Marian Association (October 1962), and the Association for the Deceased (July 1964), and on June 10, 1965, the Missionary Benedictine Sisters established a branch convent within the parish.

In July 1965, as Father Geraghty returned home on vacation, Father O'Connor took office, but after only 9 months, on September 5, 1966, Father Geraghty returned as the 3 pastor. In 1966, the Ttukseom Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Seongsu-dong parish. In November 1968, the Sacred Heart Library was opened and on November 16 the Sacred Heart Association was founded, and during the term of the 4 pastor, Father Manion, the parish bulletin was first published on December 25, 1968, and in August 1969 the Haengdang-dong parish was separated and established. For the faithful in Hwanghak-dong, Yurak-dong, Inchang-dong and Hyeonin-dong, a Catholic Center was prepared at No. 116 Hwanghak-dong on April 20, 1969, and on September 24 of the same year a cemetery was created on a hill in Nojo-ri, Jorim-myeon, Paju-gun, Gyeonggi-do.

The 6 pastor, Father Kim Su-chang, launched the pastoral council on August 5, 1973, repaired the church basement the following June to complete a lounge, and on July 5, 1975, installed a statue of Father Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon on the right wall of the church entrance and held its unveiling ceremony. The 7 pastor, Father Kim Cheol-gyu, repaired the rectory and the convent, and in 1977 the Mothers' Bible Group and the Altar Society and other devotional groups were launched. The 8 pastor, Father Lee Won-gyu, set forth as pastoral guidelines 'a parish community that evangelizes, a parish community that learns, a parish community of love and fellowship, and a parish community with revitalized districts,' completed the church land expansion project at the end of June 1983, and launched the Youth Federation on April 7, 1985. The 9 pastor, Father Oh Chang-seon, newly established a marriage course, and the 10 pastor, Father Kim Seung-hun, revived the salaried manager system, completed the education hall, kindergarten and rectory on November 25, 1988, and held their blessing ceremony, and published the parish 30-year history on May 13, 1990. On November 15, 1992, the Sageun-dong Catholic mission chapel hall was newly built and blessed, and the Sageun-dong Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Majang-dong parish in 1996. Starting in March 2000, for one month, stonework and garden landscaping were carried out in the parish yard and the base of the Sacred Heart statue was relocated.

The jurisdiction recorded in the Catholic Encyclopedia of Korea covers parts of Sangwangsimni-dong and Hawangsimni-dong, Doseon-dong, Majang-dong, Sindang-dong, Haengdang-dong and Hongik-dong. Membership was 1,650 in 1960, 5,079 in 1965, 3,105 in 1970, 6,386 in 1975, 4,852 in 1980, 6,393 in 1990, and 3,684 in 2000. Successive pastors are the first, Geraghty Bernardo (1959.11-1965.7), the 2, O'Connor Mauricio (1965.7-1966.9), the 3, Geraghty (1966.9-1968.12), the 4, Manion Francisco (1968.12-1970.7), the 5, Flanagan Joseph (1970.7-1973.5), the 6, Kim Su-chang James (1973.5-1976.5), the 7, Kim Cheol-gyu Barnabas (1976.5-1982.5), the 8, Lee Won-gyu Matthew (1982.5-1986.8), the 9, Oh Chang-seon Simon (1986.8-1988.2), the 10, Kim Seung-hun Matthias (1988.2-1993.10), the 11, Park Go-bin Simeon (1993.10-1998.9), the 12, Lee Bong-woo Thomas Aquinas (1998.9-2001.10), and the 13, Kim Seung-hyeon Gregory (2001.10-).

Architecture and Space

At its founding, the mission hall was used as it was for the parish church, and in 1961 a new church was completed on the present parish site. On July 30, 1962, a large bell was purchased, named 'Saint Alphonsus' and blessed, and on July 5, 1975, a statue of Father Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon was installed on the right wall of the church entrance. In June 1983 the church land expansion work was completed, and on November 25, 1988, the education hall, kindergarten and rectory were completed.

Religious Significance and Visiting Context

According to the Catholic Directory of Korea, the parish's sisters' congregation is the Seoul Sisters of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, and the Sacred Heart Kindergarten belongs to the parish.

Related Places and People

• Sindang-dong parish: the mother parish from which the Wangsimni parish was separated in November 1959.
• Ttukseom Catholic mission chapel (prepared in 1960) to Seongsu-dong parish (elevated in 1966), Haengdang-dong parish (separated in August 1969) and Sageun-dong Catholic mission chapel to Majang-dong parish (elevated in 1996): the mission chapels and parishes originating from the Wangsimni parish.
• Missionary Society of St. Columban: the mission society that supported the establishment of the Wangsimni Catholic mission chapel, to which the first pastor, Father Geraghty, belonged.
• Catholic Center: the facility prepared at No. 116 Hwanghak-dong on April 20, 1969.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Catholic Encyclopedia of Korea 'Wangsimni Parish (Seongdong)'. The November 1959 separation and establishment, patron Sacred Heart of Jesus, jurisdiction, circumstances of mission establishment and parish elevation, new church construction, separated parishes and mission chapels, successive pastors and membership were confirmed.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4674
2. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory of Korea 'Wangsimni'. The affiliated district (8 Seongdong-Gwangjin District in the East Seoul Region), establishment date 1959.11.16, patron Sacred Heart of Jesus, Seoul Sisters of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, and Sacred Heart Kindergarten were confirmed.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000194&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011