Yeonhui-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Yeonhui-dong Church is a parish belonging to the 2 Seodaemun-Mapo District of the Central Seoul Region of the Seoul Archdiocese, located in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. It was separated from Ahyeon-dong Parish and established on August 1, 1967, and its patron is the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle. On September 17, 1998, it was designated as the 2 district-seat parish of the Seoul Archdiocese and served as the central parish of the Seodaemun-Mapo District.

History

From the late 1960s, as the Yeonhui-dong area was developed and the resident population and number of faithful increased, Father Park Hui-bong (Isidoro) of Ahyeon-dong Parish, which then had jurisdiction over the area, submitted a parish separation proposal to the archdiocese around May 1967. At the same time, as benefactor Jo Dong-sik (Francis Xavier) purchased 495 pyeong of church land with the intention of donating a church, preparations for the establishment proceeded quickly. The archdiocese established Yeonhui-dong Parish on August 1, 1967 and appointed Father Im Se-bin as its first pastor.

In January 1973 the parish newsletter 《One Heart》 was first published, and in January 1976 parish districts were organized for the first time, dividing the jurisdiction and the faithful into 14 districts. In February 1979 the ‘Mira Group’ was launched to help the Hansen’s disease village in Sancheong, North Gyeongsang Province. In May 1992, marking the 25 anniversary of the parish’s establishment, the 《Twenty-Five-Year History of Yeonhui Church》 was published, and in September 2000, when Hongeun-3-dong Parish was established, 313 households and 774 faithful were spun off.

Architecture and Space

After taking office, the first pastor, Father Im Se-bin, prepared a temporary church of 45 pyeong on the 2 floor of the Donggyo Building at Donggyo-dong Rotary, and in January 1969 moved the church to the 3 floor of the same building. On October 1 of the same year the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church was held, and on June 6, 1971 the first Mass was celebrated in the new church. In April 1972 furnishings including a bell and 14 other items were installed, in September 1975 a new convent building was built, and in October a Marian garden was created. In December 1985 an education hall (rectory, convent, parish office, credit union) with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors was completed, and in May 1989 the church was renovated.

Related Places and People

• Ahyeon-dong Parish: The mother parish from which Yeonhui-dong Parish was separated.
• Hongeun-3-dong Parish: Established in September 2000 by faithful separating from Yeonhui-dong Parish.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Dictionary of Korean Catholicism “Yeonhui-dong Parish”. Verified separation from Ahyeon-dong Parish and establishment on August 1, 1967, patron Conversion of Paul the Apostle, background of establishment, temporary church and church construction process, major facilities and pastoral activities, designation as 2 district-seat parish, and separation of Hongeun-3-dong Parish.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4461
2. Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Korean Catholic Directory “Yeonhui-dong (Ji)”. Verified affiliated district (2 Seodaemun-Mapo District), establishment date 1967.08.01, and patron Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000188&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000011