Yangjae-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Yangjae-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 11 Gangnam District in the East Seoul Region of the Archdiocese of Seoul, located in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It originated from the Geri Catholic mission chapel founded in Yangjae-ri by Father C. Doucet of Yakhyeon Parish in 1912, and the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records July 20, 1965, while the Korean Catholic Directory records July 15, 1965, as the foundation date. At the time of elevation the parish name was ‘Maljukgeori Parish,’ but the following year it was changed to ‘Yangjae-dong Parish.’ The present church was dedicated on October 23, 1977.

History

[Geri Catholic Mission Chapel] In the present Yangjae-dong area, in 1912, Father C. Doucet (Jeonggami) of Yakhyeon Parish (present-day Jungnim-dong Parish) founded the Geri (Geoyeo-ri) Catholic mission chapel at 23 Yangjae-ri, with 27 faithful at the time. The number of the faithful grew every year, reaching 74 by 1924, but the greatest hardship for the chapel faithful was having to go across the Han River to Yakhyeon Church to attend Mass. On July 15, 1947, when Father Simon Yi U-cheol, then assistant priest of Yakhyeon Parish, opened a nursery called Seongsimwon in Jamsil-li (present-day Jamwon-dong) and the Jamsil-li quasi-parish was established, the Geri chapel faithful began to attend this parish.

[Elevation to Parish] In 1963, when Yangjae-ri was incorporated into the City of Seoul following the expansion of Seoul’s administrative districts, the chapel faithful hastened elevation to parish status. Father Yi U-cheol purchased a total of 600 pyeong of land at 27-2 and 21-3 Yangjae-dong and San 17-1 Seocho-dong that year and planned to build a new church, but when construction proved difficult, he sold the existing land and purchased 3,970 pyeong for a new church site at 23 Yangjae-dong. As a result, it was elevated to a parish on July 20, 1965, and the first pastor, Father Yi Yong-seon, began construction of the new church on August 1 of the same year and completed the church (116 pyeong) on September 8. Its jurisdiction covered all of Umyeon-dong in Seocho-gu, Yangjae-dong, Seocho-2-dong, and Dogok-dong in Gangnam-gu and parts of Yeoksam-dong.

[Relocation and Dedication of the Church] In 1968, Yangjae-dong Church was included among those to be demolished under the City of Seoul’s road expansion plan. The 3 pastor, Father Yi Chang-suk, purchased 420 pyeong for a new church site at 6-9 Yangjae-dong (the present church location) in March 1971, began construction in March 1973, and held the dedication ceremony on October 23, 1977. With the completion of the church, the community, which had been discouraged by frequent changes of pastors, regained its vitality. Prior to this, Cheongdam-dong Parish was separated on November 22, 1973.

[Divisions and Pastoral Care] In the late 1970s, as large apartment complexes were built in the Yangjae-dong, Yeoksam-dong, and Seocho-dong areas, the number of the faithful increased greatly. The 10 pastor, Father Song Gwang-seop, regularly held retreats, Holy Spirit seminars, pilgrimages to holy places, training sessions, lectures, and other events as part of the faith renewal movement and the re-education of the faithful. In January 1981, 110 households and 410 parish registers were transferred to Seocho-dong Parish; in August 1984, Yeoksam-dong Parish was established and 80 households and 295 registers were transferred; and on August 22, 1990, Poi-dong Parish was separated and 820 households and more than 2,500 registers were transferred. As parish finances expanded, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul took the lead in helping underprivileged neighbors in the area, and in 1999 it was selected as the best volunteer organization by the Seocho District Office. In April 1998, a major repair was carried out to prevent damage due to the aging of the church building, and from December 1999, funds for church construction were raised in order to divide off a parish in Umyeon-dong.

Parish statistics were 795 faithful in 1975, 2,098 in 1980, 5,760 in 1987, 5,589 in 1992, and 7,080 in 1999. The patron is recorded as the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and as the Nativity of Mary in the Korean Catholic Directory.

Successive pastors were the first, Peter Yi Yong-seon (1965.7–1967.1), the 2, John Yi Sam-bok (1967.1–1969.2), the 3, Gregory Yi Chang-suk (1969.2–1971.5), the 4, Ludovico Kim Taek-gu (1971.5–1973.5), the 5, Thomas Park Byeong-yun (1973.5–1974.5), the 6, Thaddeus Park Yong-il (1974.5–1976.5), the 7, Peter Yi Yong-seon (1976.5–1977.11), the 8, John Yi Mun-geun (1978.1–1980.8), the 9, Raphael Baek Eun-gi (1980.8–1983.4), the 10, Peter Song Gwang-seop (1983.4–1985.8), the 11, Francis Yi Gi-myeong (1985.8–1986.2), the 12, Joseph Hwang Heung-bok (1986.2–1991.8), the 13, Augustine Go Myeong-cheol (1991.8–1997.9), the 14, John Oh Ji-young (1997.9–2001.2), and the 15, John the Baptist Hyeon Dong-jun (2001.3–).

Architecture and Space

On September 8, 1965, the first church (116 pyeong) was completed on the site (3,970 pyeong) at 23 Yangjae-dong, but in 1968 it became subject to demolition under the road expansion plan. In March 1971, 420 pyeong of land was purchased at 6-9 Yangjae-dong, construction began in March 1973, the present church was dedicated on October 23, 1977, and a major repair was carried out in April 1998.

Related Places and People

• Yakhyeon Parish (present-day Jungnim-dong Parish): the parish in which Father Doucet founded the Geri Catholic mission chapel in 1912.
• Jamsil-li Quasi-Parish (predecessor of Jamwon-dong Parish): the parish established when Father Yi U-cheol opened Seongsimwon on July 15, 1947, which the Geri chapel faithful came to attend.
• Cheongdam-dong Parish: the parish separated from Yangjae-dong Parish on November 22, 1973.
• Seocho-dong, Yeoksam-dong, and Poi-dong Parishes: the parishes that received parish registers from Yangjae-dong Parish in January 1981, in August 1984, and in August 1990, respectively.
• Umyeon-dong: the area for which Yangjae-dong Parish raised church construction funds from December 1999 in order to divide off a parish.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Yangjae-dong Parish.” Confirmed the elevation from mission chapel to parish on July 20, 1965, the parish name change, the patron Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, jurisdiction, parish statistics, successive priests, the Geri mission chapel and Jamsil-li quasi-parish, church construction, relocation and dedication, parish divisions, and social service.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4296
2. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory, “Yangjae-dong.” Confirmed the affiliated district (the 11 Gangnam District in the East Seoul Region), the foundation date 1965.07.15, and the patron Nativity of Mary.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000182&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011