Wolgok-dong Church

Overview

Wolgok-dong Church is a parish in Seongbuk District No. 4 in the Jung Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records on September 24, 1968, and the Catholic Directory of Korea records on September 23, 1968, as the date of establishment, and it was established by separation from Mia-dong Parish (now Gireum-dong Parish). Its patron is the Good Shepherd. The first church was blessed on November 9, 1969, and a new church was blessed on May 1, 1994, presided over by Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan.

History

[Founding] Mia-dong Parish, the mother parish in northern Seoul, after separating Suyu-dong Parish in April 1967, planned the separation of several more parishes. Accordingly, Wolgok-dong Parish was separated and newly established from Mia-dong Parish on September 24, 1968, and Father Yi Sa-eung became its first pastor. The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia covers Hawolgok-dong 1–4, Sangwolgok-dong, Mia-dong 4 and 9, Jongam-dong 1 and 2, and parts of Gireum-dong 3.

[First Church] After the establishment of the parish, the church site was purchased in December 1968, the groundbreaking Mass for the construction of the church building was celebrated on March 30, 1969, and the blessing Mass for the new church (site 143 pyeong, church 75 pyeong, rectory 25 pyeong, Sunday school 65 pyeong, basement 21 pyeong, total floor area 186 pyeong) was celebrated on November 9 of that year.

[1970s–80s] The 4 pastor, Father Im Eung-seung, reorganized the pastoral council and sought to revitalize lay apostolate groups and devotional and re-education activities, promoting the settling of the parish and its pastoral system. As the total number of faithful grew to nearly 3,000, making the church site too small, the Parish Site Expansion Fundraising Association was launched in October 1974. The 5 pastor, Father Kim Yun-sang, continuously promoted the movement for the return of inactive faithful and the campaign to find faithful whose residence was unknown, and through this movement to expand the Church the number of baptisms increased steadily each year. The 6 pastor, Father Choi Yong-rok, made the expansion of the church site his foremost pastoral goal and secured the present church grounds. In the mid-1980s, new land and houses were purchased, easing to some extent the shortage of catechism rooms and meeting rooms. As the church completed in 1969 had become old and dilapidated and required frequent repairs, the Church Building Preparation Committee was launched in October 1988.

[New Church] The 8 pastor, Father Park Dae-ung, made the construction of a new church his first pastoral goal and held the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church building in April 1993, the new church was completed on December 24 of that year, and the blessing ceremony was held on May 1, 1994, presided over by Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan. In April 1994, a 112-pyeong site (Hawolgok-dong 90-1198) to the left behind the church was purchased, bringing the total site area of the church to 590 pyeong. On September 24, 2001, to mark the 33 anniversary, the parish published the 《History of Wolgok-dong Parish for 33 Years》.

Church statistics were as follows: in 1974, 3,040 faithful; in 1980, 4,015 faithful; in 1986, 6,470 faithful; in 1992, 6,543 faithful; in 1996, 7,043 faithful; and in 2000, 5,889 faithful. The Catholic Directory of Korea lists the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres as the parish religious congregation.

Successive pastors were the first pastor Antonio Yi Sa-eung (1968.9–1973.5), the 2 pastor Peter Yi Yong-seon (1973.5–11), the 3 pastor Thaddeus Park Yong-il (1973.11–1974.5), the 4 pastor John Im Eung-seung (1974.5–1978.8), the 5 pastor Benedict Kim Yun-sang (1978.8–1983.8), the 6 pastor Francis Choi Yong-rok (1983.8–1988.2), the 7 pastor Raphael Baek Eun-gi (1988.2–1992.9), the 8 pastor John the Baptist Park Dae-ung (1992.9–1996.10), the 9 pastor Pius Min Byeong-deok (1996.10–2001.9), and the 10 pastor Joseph Kim Byeong-il (2001.9–).

Architecture and Space

The first church, blessed on November 9, 1969, measured 143 pyeong of site, 75 pyeong of church, 25 pyeong of rectory, 65 pyeong of Sunday school, 21 pyeong of basement, and 186 pyeong of total floor area. The new church, begun in April 1993 and completed on December 24 of the same year, was blessed on May 1, 1994, and with the addition of a 112-pyeong site in April 1994, the total site area became 590 pyeong.

Related Places and People

• Mia-dong Parish (now Gireum-dong Parish): the parish from which Wolgok-dong Parish was separated in September 1968, and which had separated Suyu-dong Parish in April 1967.
• Father Yi Sa-eung: the first pastor of Wolgok-dong Parish (1968.9–1973.5).
• Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan: presided over the blessing ceremony for the new church on May 1, 1994.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Wolgok-dong Parish.” Confirmed the separation and establishment from Mia-dong Parish on September 24, 1968, the patron Good Shepherd, jurisdiction, church statistics, successive priests, the process of building and newly constructing the church, site expansion, and publication of the 33-year history.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4822
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory of Korea, “Wolgok-dong.” Confirmed the affiliated district (Seongbuk District No. 4 in the Jung Seoul Region), date of establishment 1968.09.23, patron Good Shepherd, and the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000200&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011