양원(구, 망우1동) 성당

History & origins

Yangwon Parish was established on January 27, 2005. The Archdiocese of Seoul parish list preserves the designation “formerly Mangwoo 1-dong” alongside the present name “Yangwon,” showing the continuity between the name by which the community was first known and its current identity. The current archdiocesan listing preserves the former name as well, making the continuity of the parish clear after the change of name.

The parish’s church facilities underwent major change during large-scale development in the Yangwon area. According to a 2020 report in the Catholic Peace Times, the old, small church was demolished after the area became a public-housing development zone in 2018, and the parish used a converted restaurant as a temporary church. Construction of the new church began on March 31, 2020. At the time, the relatively small parish was visiting parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Seoul to raise construction funds and reduce the burden on its own faithful. An official notice from Yangjae 2-dong Parish in October of the same year also announced a collection for the construction of Yangwon Catholic Church, confirming the wider archdiocesan support effort.

There is also a record concerning sacred art for the new church. A 2024 Catholic press feature on sculptor Oh Soo-yeon states that in 2021 the artist donated a crucifix and Stations of the Cross to Yangwon Parish. The sequence from the parish’s establishment in 2005 through the demolition of the former church in 2018, construction and fundraising in 2020, and the offering of sacred art in 2021 shows how the parish created a new home and liturgical space in a rapidly developing district.