Singal Catholic Church

Overview

Singal Church is a church in Singal-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Suwon Diocese. Believers from the Singal area of Suwon Jidong Parish separated in 1988 to establish it, and its patron saints are the martyr sisters Saint Columba Kim Hyo-im and Saint Agnes Kim Hyo-ju.

History

[Catholic mission chapel period under Jidong Parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Giheung-myeon area administratively belongs to Yongin-si, but since most residents’ daily life is closely connected to Suwon-si, the faithful there were registered at Suwon Jidong Parish and lived their faith. Because the distance was great and transportation was inconvenient, Jidong Parish’s first parish priest, Father Fischer (Konrad Fischer), rented a hall of about 20 pyeong and, starting in June 1970, celebrated Sunday Mass on an irregular basis. Singal Church’s history records that it began with a Catholic mission chapel Mass on June 1, 1970 (in a rented hall, 20 people), and later moved to Singal Wedding Hall in December 1980, to Saemaeul Hall in April 1981, to the 2 floor of a restaurant in June 1986, and to the 4 floor (34 pyeong) of Sujeong Building in March 1987, and that 3 districts and 9 groups were organized on June 6, 1984. The encyclopedia adds that when Giheung-myeon was elevated to a town in October 1985, pastoral care for the growing population became urgent.

[Establishment of the parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, under its 4 parish priest, Father Lee Jong-cheol, Jidong Parish formed a committee to promote a new Singal Parish on October 4, 1987, secured land at Singal-ri lot 43-4, and built a prefabricated temporary church on December 24 of that year (church history: land 195 pyeong, building 103 pyeong). Then on February 12, 1988, Singal Parish was established with 253 households and 669 members transferred from Jidong Parish, 92 households and 314 members from Buksudong Parish, and 47 households and 127 members from Yongin Parish. The encyclopedia gives the establishment date as February 12, 1988, while Singal Church’s history and the Digital Yongin Cultural Encyclopedia give February 24, 1988. At the time of establishment, the first parish priest, Father Lee Sang-gak (Francis Xavier), organized a pastoral council, promoted a new church building through a design competition and pledges for construction funds, and arranged a branch convent of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

[Patron saints and early activities] According to Singal Church’s history, the pastoral council was launched on May 22, 1988, the 1 Confirmation was celebrated by Bishop Kim Nam-su on November 13, and the martyr sisters Saint Columba Kim Hyo-im and Saint Agnes Kim Hyo-ju were enshrined as parish patrons on December 24. On July 24, 1990, the parish day, the patrons’ solemnity (September 26) and memorial day (September 3) were designated, and on September 16 the 2 pastoral council was formed, the New Church Building Committee was launched, and the 1 patrons’ solemnity and Parish Day faith festival were held. The Digital Yongin Cultural Encyclopedia states that September 20, the feast of the two martyr saints, is observed as parish day, so the two sources differ on the date. The encyclopedia notes that the 2 pastor, Father Lee Sang-young, and the 3 pastor, Father Seo Jong-min, served only about 8 to 9 months each, yet strengthened the community spirit through on-site educational ministry and the ‘Let Us Be Together’ movement.

[The 1990s: church-building drive and daughter parishes] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 4 parish priest, Father Jeong Seong-jin, fixed the parish day and founded a parish bulletin, launched the ‘New Church Building Committee’ on September 16, 1990, purchased land the following year, and actively promoted construction, but work stopped when the church site was designated as a housing development area. In December 1993 the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima withdrew their branch convent. According to Singal Church’s history, a rectory was purchased on March 2, 1991 (Singal-ri 45-1), the illustrated bulletin ‘Mustard Seed’ was first published on March 19, and 1,820 pyeong for a new church site (Singal-ri mountain lot 26, 129-1) was purchased on June 17. On January 28, 1992, Benedict Choi Gyeong-nam was ordained a priest, the first priest from Singal Parish. On February 3, 1994, Suji Church was separated and established with 102 households and 307 members.

[Securing a church site and separation of Jukjeon] The 5 parish priest, Father Min Gyeong-guk, opened the ‘Hyo-ju Study Room,’ founded a fraternity, consolidated the basis for the suspended church construction through a campaign to double church dues, and in March 1995 a branch convent of the Mirinae Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was established (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). According to the encyclopedia, the suspended construction resumed when, on September 22, 1997, land in the housing development 2 district 4021-2 in Gugal-ri, Giheung-eup was received in exchange from the Korea Land Development Corporation. Under the 6 parish priest, Father An Seong-no, Jukjeon Parish was separated on August 4, 1998 (Singal Church’s history records the first Mass of the Jukjeon Catholic mission chapel on April 12, 1998). Singal Church’s history notes that on May 20, 1998, Wooshin Engineering Architects was announced as winner of the new-church design competition, fundraising for the new building began on September 1 under the slogan ‘Offer One Pyeong,’ and the design passed diocesan review with revisions on October 20.

[Construction and dedication of the new church] According to Singal Church’s history, the groundbreaking was held on June 5, 1999, Easter Mass was celebrated on April 23, 2000 in the cathedral under construction, and the community moved into the basement church at the construction site on June 11. It moved into the newly built rectory on January 22, 2001 and celebrated a thanksgiving Mass for entering the new church building on August 15. The church was completed on May 8, 2002, and Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi dedicated the building on June 30. Meanwhile, Bora Church separated on January 29, 2002.

[After the 2000s] According to Singal Church’s history, the 7 parish priest, Father Joseph Lee Yong-sam, took office on January 28, 2003; on February 29, 2004 parish boundaries with Guseong Church were adjusted so that the area south of the Yeongdong Expressway came under Guseong Parish, and on October 1 Sangha Church became a separate parish. On that day the parish priest was appointed head of the Yongin District. The 8 priest, Father John the Baptist Kim Yeong-bin, took office on September 26, 2006, the 9 priest, Father Thomas Aquinas Kim Yu-sin, on September 1, 2009, the 10 priest, Father Eduardo Lee Sang-don, on August 28, 2012, the 11 priest, Father Paul Lee Dong-chun, on June 13, 2017, and the 12 priest, Father Matthias Choi Byeong-yong, on June 14, 2022. For the 25 anniversary of the parish founding in 2013, a community Mass was celebrated at the Namyang Marian Shrine on September 1 and a commemorative Mass attended by Diocesan Bishop Lee Yong-hun on October 27. Sangmi Church (provisional name) became a separate parish on June 18, 2019, and Masses were separated from Sangmi Church on September 5, 2022.

[Jurisdiction and statistics] According to the Digital Yongin Cultural Encyclopedia, Singal Church belongs to the Yongin 2 District of the Yongin Vicariate in the Suwon Diocese, its jurisdiction covers Singal-ri and Gugal-ri in Giheung-eup and Sangha-ri, Dongbaek-ri, Jung-ri and Cheongdeok-ri in Guseong-eup in Yongin-si, and its total number of faithful is 5,391. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives 1,366 members in 1988, 2,613 in 1995, 2,410 in 1997, and 2,695 in 1999, while Singal Church’s own history lists 4,200 faithful. The encyclopedia’s list of successive priests is: first Father Francis Xavier Lee Sang-gak (1988.2–1989.1), 2 Father Peter Lee Sang-young (1989.1–10), 3 Father Paul Seo Jong-min (1989.10–1990.5), 4 Father John the Baptist Jeong Seong-jin (1990.5–1995.2), 5 Father Andrew Min Gyeong-guk (1995.2–1998.1), and 6 Father Paul An Seong-no (1998.1–).

Architecture and Space

According to Singal Church’s history, the new church site is lot 4021-2 in the Gugal 2 district, Giheung-eup, purchased in September 1997, and land registration was completed on May 4, 2001 (Singal-ri 164-1, religious land 2033.3 square meters). The history notes that Wooshin Engineering Architects was selected in the May 1998 design competition, with groundbreaking on June 5, 1999, a thanksgiving Mass on entering the building on August 15, 2001, completion on May 8, 2002, and dedication on June 30. It also lists a planting of 1,000 rose trees on April 1, 2001, the opening of Hyo-im Children’s School in November 2001, and a trial performance at Hyo-im Small Theater and the opening of Hyo-im Playroom in 2003.

Related Places and People

• Jidong Parish: the mother parish of Singal Parish. Jidong Parish’s first parish priest, Father Fischer (Konrad Fischer), celebrated Sunday Mass in the Singal area starting in June 1970 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Buksudong Parish and Yongin Parish: the parishes that transferred faithful when Singal Parish was established (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Suji Church (1994.2), Jukjeon Church (1998.8), Bora Church (2002.1), Sangha Church (2004.10) and Sangmi Church (2019.6): churches separated or divided from Singal Church (Singal Church history, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Saint Columba Kim Hyo-im and Saint Agnes Kim Hyo-ju: the parish patron saints (Singal Church history, Digital Yongin Cultural Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Singal Parish”. Catholic mission chapel period under Jidong Parish, parish establishment in 1988 and transferred faithful, early parish priests, church-building drive, separation of Jukjeon Parish, statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3888
2. Singal Church, History of Singal Church. History from the Catholic mission chapel Mass in 1970 to 2022, patron saints, new-church construction schedule, daughter parishes and successive parish priests.
   http://www.singal.or.kr/p/blog-page_16.html
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yongin Cultural Encyclopedia “Singal Church” (written by Jo Hyeon-beom). Year and date of establishment, mother parish, patron saints and parish day, jurisdiction and number of faithful.
   https://yongin.grandculture.net/yongin/toc/GC00902036