염리동 성당

History & origins

Yeomri-dong Parish began to take shape on February 22, 1994, when its first pastor arrived. The first Mass was celebrated on March 13 of that year and a pastoral council was organized. In October, Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan presided over a Mass connected with the construction of the church. The following year, the parish prepared a temporary church and continued its community life there.

The construction of the church was not a simple process. The parish encountered various difficulties involving construction and the building structure, yet continued working toward a permanent place of worship for many years. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on November 26, 2000. On June 10, 2001, Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk presided over the dedication of the church, bringing a long period of construction to an important conclusion.

The church building was later renewed in response to the needs of the community. Major renovation work began in 2017, and liturgies continued in temporary spaces during construction. In 2019, after receiving approval for use, Mass was again celebrated in the church. This history shows that the story of Yeomri-dong Parish is not merely one of constructing a building, but of a community that persevered together in creating and sustaining its place of worship through repeated difficulties.