Anjung Catholic Church

Overview

Anjung Church is a church in Anjung-ri, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Suwon Diocese. It began when the Anjung Catholic mission chapel, founded in November 1954 by the pastor of Pyeongtaek Parish, was elevated to a parish on January 1, 1966. Its patron is St. Joseph (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

History

〔Chapels of this area〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, records of the Catholic mission chapels that stood in the present Anjung Parish jurisdiction first appear in the church statistics compiled in 1917 by Father Kim Won-yeong (Augustinus), pastor of Gatdeungi (now Wangnim) Parish. The statistics list 28 believers at the Songdae Catholic mission chapel (Anhwa-ri, Oseong-myeon), 68 at the Dongwonmal Catholic mission chapel (Gyopo-ri, Oseong-myeon), 83 at the Anjung-ri Catholic mission chapel (Ingwang-ri, Hyeondeok-myeon), 71 at the Tonaru Catholic mission chapel (Tojin-ri, Cheongbuk-myeon), and others, for a total of 250 believers. The encyclopedia considers that the faith community of this area had already formed in the early 1910s, and states that these Catholic mission chapels were incorporated into Pyeongtaek Parish when it was established on April 14, 1928. The Pyeongtaek City History explains that the first church in the Pyeongtaek area was Pyeongtaek Church, built in Bijeon-ri, Pyeongtaek-gun on April 14, 1928 by the French Father Mollimard, and that the next was Seojeong-ri Church.

〔Founding of the Anjung Catholic mission chapel〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that in Anjung-ri (then Oseong-myeon), the present parish seat, only three households lived until the early 1950s, including the family of Kim Jong-su (Franciscus) who had moved south, so they could not form an independent community and attended the Anjung-ri Catholic mission chapel in Ingwang-ri. In November 1954, the Anjung Catholic mission chapel in Oseong-myeon was founded by Father Shin In-gyun (Josephus), pastor of Pyeongtaek Parish, and by the time Father Ha Han-ju (Josephus) took office as the 10th pastor of Pyeongtaek Parish, the number of believers had grown greatly and the question of elevation to a parish became prominent. The Pyeongtaek City History states that in November 1954 Father Shin In-gyun first visited Anjung-ri, Oseong-myeon and celebrated the first Mass and the autumn Easter-precept sacraments with the faithful of Anjung-ri gathered at the house of Kim Dong-su (Franciscus), and that the Anjung-ri Catholic mission chapel was born on that occasion. With the permission of the parish pastor, the faithful hung a sign reading ‘Anjung Catholic Church Chapel’ at the one-room pharmacy of Seo Jae-bok (Jacobus), a pharmacist, and started as a Catholic mission chapel under Pyeongtaek Church, with Seo Jae-bok appointed as the first president.

〔Elevation to a parish and construction of the church〕 According to the encyclopedia, the faithful of the Catholic mission chapel purchased 5,919 pyeong of land at the present parish seat on October 2, 1962, and through such efforts it was elevated to a parish on January 1, 1966, with Father Jang Deok-ho (Callistus) taking office as the first pastor. At its establishment there were more than 800 believers and 10 subordinate Catholic mission chapels. Father Jang Deok-ho began construction of a new church on January 30 of the following year with the support of the Austrian Women’s Association and fundraising by the parish faithful, but the church was completed on the scale of 93 pyeong in March 1969, during the time of the 2th pastor, Father Seo Gang-ha (Matthaeus). A convent of 23 pyeong was newly built in June 1972, construction of an education hall of 105 pyeong for use as a rectory and catechism classrooms began on March 29, 1981 and was completed on May 10 of the following year, and a statue of St. Kim Dae-geon was erected on May 19, 1985. On January 29, 1989, the Huigok-ri, Naegi-ri, Asanman, Sukseong-ri and Deogu-ri Catholic mission chapels were founded. The Pyeongtaek City History also states that on January 1, 1966 it was elevated to a parish through the efforts of the faithful of Anjung-ri.

〔Construction of the new church〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that, in preparation for dividing the parish, Anjung Parish had purchased church land in Poseung-myeon (2,766 pyeong) and Cheongbuk-myeon (754 pyeong) on four occasions from 1994 to 1997. It was decided to build a new church because the existing church was too small, construction began on June 26, 1996, the first Mass was offered on July 1, 1999 in the basement church then under construction, and a church with a total floor area of 1,512 pyeong was completed on April 20 of the following year. The encyclopedia states that apartment construction continues in the district, so the number of believers is expected to grow for the time being, and that efforts are being made in pastoral care for newly moved-in believers. The Pyeongtaek City History states that there are 12 churches in the Pyeongtaek area, including Pyeongtaek Church and those in Seojeong-dong, Paengseong, Anjung, Songseo, Bijeon-dong, Songhyeon, Segyo-dong, Poseung, Gung-ri, Mosangol and Cheongbuk.

〔Jurisdiction, church membership, and successive pastors〕 The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is all of Poseung-myeon, Hyeondeok-myeon, Anjung-myeon and Oseong-myeon and part of Cheongbuk-myeon. Church membership was 1,350 in 1971, 1,525 in 1976, 2,288 in 1981, 3,120 in 1987, 3,549 in 1991, 4,236 in 1996, and 4,430 in 1999. The successive pastors are the first, Jang Deok-ho Callistus (1966.1–1968.5), the 2th, Seo Gang-ha Matthaeus (1968.5–1970.1), the 3nd, Jeong Hae-seong Thomas Aquinas (1970.2–1972.6), the 4th, Lee Jong-cheol Stephanus (1972.6–1975.9), the 5th, Kim Yeong-ok Gabriel (1975.9–1979.3), the 6st, Lee Jae-yun Franciscus Xaverius (1979.3–10), the 7th, Jeong Un-taek Andreas (1979.10–1984.2), the 8th, Namoski Jacobus (1984.2–1990.1), the 9th, Fleming Jacobus (1990.1–1992.2), the 10rd, Bang Sang-man Petrus (1992.2–1995.2), and the 11th, Lee Gi-su Joachim (1995.2–).

Related places and people

• Pyeongtaek Parish: the mother parish of Anjung Parish. When it was established on April 14, 1928 it incorporated the Catholic mission chapels of this area, and in 1954 Father Shin In-gyun founded the Anjung Catholic mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Pyeongtaek City History).
• Gatdeungi (Wangnim) Parish: the parish where Father Kim Won-yeong first recorded the Songdae, Dongwonmal, Anjung-ri and Tonaru Catholic mission chapels of this area in the church statistics of 1917 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Seo Jae-bok (Jacobus): the first president of the Anjung Catholic mission chapel, who hung the sign ‘Anjung Catholic Church Chapel’ at his one-room pharmacy (Pyeongtaek City History).
• Austrian Women’s Association: the organization that supported Father Jang Deok-ho’s church construction (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Anjung Parish” (volume 8). Elevation to a parish on January 1, 1966, patron, jurisdiction, church membership, successive pastors, era of the Catholic mission chapels, construction of the church, completion of the new church.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4202
2. Pyeongtaek City, Pyeongtaek City History “Catholicism in Pyeongtaek”. Founding of Pyeongtaek Church, beginning of the Anjung-ri Catholic mission chapel and elevation to a parish in 1966, and the churches in the Pyeongtaek area.
   https://sisa.pyeongtaek.go.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=ca17&wr_id=12