Anseong Catholic Church

Overview

Anseong Church is a church of the Suwon Diocese located at Hyesan-ro 33 (Gupo-dong) in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. According to the Good News shrine introduction, it was established as Anseong Parish on October 19, 1900, and the old church built in 1922 combined a Korean-style structure with a basilica-style exterior and was designated as Gyeonggi Monument No. 82 in 1985. In 2000, a new memorial church for the 100 anniversary of the parish establishment was dedicated.

History

[Establishment of Catholic mission chapels and establishment of the parish] According to the Good News shrine introduction, the Gospel had already been preached in the Anseong area in the persecution era, and believers lived in several places around the Byeongin Persecution of 1866, but after the community was broken up by persecution, descendants of martyrs and believers from other areas moved in and formed new Catholic villages. In 1883, two or three priests visited the Anseong area and established the Paul Catholic mission chapel, followed by the Juksan, Jiksan, Gungmal, and Seonbawi Catholic mission chapels in order. After Bishop Mutel visited this area on January 1900, a movement to establish a parish began, and after purchasing the present site in Anseong town, remodeling a tiled-roof house into a church, a completion ceremony was held that year on September officiated by Father Devise, and Anseong Parish was established on October 19. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture states that Anseong Parish was divided from Gongseri Parish in Asan and founded in 1901 (Gwangmu 5), and that the first pastor, Father Antoine Gombert (Gombert, A., 孔安國), bought the house of a Mr. Baek who had formerly served as county magistrate and used it as a temporary church. The Dunjisil Parish entry in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the Seonbawi Catholic mission chapel was first under Father Devise of Gongseri Parish established in 1895, and then came under Gupodong Parish (the former name of Anseong Parish) with the establishment of Gupodong Parish in 1900. The year of parish establishment is given differently as 1900 and 1901 depending on the source.

[First pastor Father Gombert and Anbeop School] The Good News shrine introduction states that Father Gombert, appointed as the first pastor, established the private elementary school Anbeop School (the predecessor of today's Anbeop High School) in 1909 and operated it at his own expense, and added a girls' department in 1912 while inviting teaching sisters from the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. The Catholic Times article “Korean Church History Encountered in the Diocese (28)” states that Father Gombert founded the private Catholic Anbeop School on January 1909, that Anbeop School continues today as Anbeop High School, and that Father Gombert promoted the school foundation because he thought education was important for recovering national sovereignty and in response to the local community's need for an educational institution. Good News states that later, in 1936, the 4 pastor, Father Lee Bok-yeong, expanded Anbeop School's classrooms and developed it from a 4-year school into a 6-year elementary school, that it was approved as a regular common school the next year on April, and that on September 1947 Father Kim Je-geun received approval for Anbeop Middle School and opened it. The Catholic Times (2025) states that Father Gombert brought in grape seedlings that became the origin of Anseong grapes in order to make Mass wine.

[The 3 and 1 Movements and Father Gombert] According to the Catholic Times (2024), during the 3 and 1 Movements in 1919, people in the Anseong area came to Father Gombert to ask advice on how to carry out the independence demonstrations. The priest advised them to “hold the national flag by day and lanterns by night and shout for independence,” recommended a Catholic believer as a leader who could direct the demonstrations in an orderly way, cautioned citizens not to commit violence or destruction, and asked the Japanese army to stop persecution. When crowds pursued by the Japanese army flocked to Anseong Church, Father Gombert raised the French flag in the churchyard and, claiming that this place was extraterritorial, stood firm to block the Japanese army's entry. Good News states that with funds raised in France the priest purchased paddies and fields and distributed them to tenant farmers, and distributed food to people in years of bad harvest, carrying out relief work for the poor.

[Construction and dedication of the church] According to the Good News shrine introduction, in 1922 Father Gombert obtained the cooperation of believers and began church construction, celebrated the first Mass that year on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption, and held the dedication ceremony on October 4 officiated by Bishop Dubreuil. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture states that a Romanesque-style brick church building was newly built in 1922. In 1925, Won Jae-deok, from the woodworking shop of Deokwon Abbey, made sculptural decoration on the back wall of the altar (Encyclopedia), and the Catholic Times (2025) states that the wooden altar and the altar in the church were made in 1925 by carpenter Won Jae-deok from the woodworking shop of Deokwon Abbey. In 1955, Father Im Se-bin expanded the church bell tower in Gothic brick style and installed a bell ordered from Germany (Good News).

[Renaming to Gupodong Parish and separation of Daecheondong Parish] Good News states that Anseong Parish was renamed Gupodong Parish when it divided off Daecheondong Parish in 1970. The Daecheondong Parish entry in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that Daecheondong Parish was separated and established from Anseong (now Gupodong) Parish on June 29, 1970, and that as Anseong Parish steadily grew and its influence expanded, a movement to newly establish a parish in town became full-scale, so a committee to promote construction of a new church was formed in 1969. According to the Dunjisil Parish entry in the same encyclopedia, the Dunjisil Catholic mission chapel of Gupodong Parish was elevated to a parish on February 13, 1992.

[Cultural heritage designation and the 100 anniversary] Good News states that on the occasion of the church's designation as Gyeonggi Monument No. 82 on June 1985, the church was extensively repaired, and the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture states that it was designated as a provincial natural heritage (provincial monument) on June 28, 1985. While carrying out projects for the 100 anniversary of parish establishment, the parish name was changed back from Gupodong to Anseong Parish on January 1, 2000, and that year the 100 anniversary ceremony of parish establishment and the memorial church dedication were held on October 3 (Good News). On May 2005, the 100 anniversary memorial hall of Anseong Church was built and blessed (Good News).

[Recent years] The Catholic Times (2025) states, quoting what the then pastor Father Park U-seong (Ambrosio) said, that in 2024 there was an opportunity to document genetic information when descendants of Father Gombert visited the parish.

Architecture and Space

The old church (in its rebuilt form of 1922) was designed and supervised by Father Victor Poisnel (Poisnel, V.). According to the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, tiles, stone, and some wood used here were taken by dismantling the pavilion-style Dongan Lecture Hall (東安講堂) in Dongan-ri, Bogae-myeon, Anseong-gun, and most of the timber was transported from the Amnok River. The Catholic Times (2025) states that Dongan Lecture Hall was a tiled-roof house built in 1786, and that the church site is about 264 square meters (about 80 pyeong).

The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture states that the floor plan is a typical basilica-style Latin cross with 5 bays on the front and 9 bays on the side, that the lower part of the bell tower is open and serves as an entrance, and that the bell tower and one entrance bay are 2 stories and are used as a choir loft. The bell tower has three spires, of which the central spire changes from square to octagonal at the top with a total height of 26 m, while the left and right spires are pyramid-shaped. Interior decoration is Western-style, while structure and exterior adopt traditional Korean wooden architecture, and it is described as one of the few remaining Korean-style churches. Good News describes this church as combining Korean style (interior) with basilica style (exterior), showing well a localized style.

The Catholic Times (2025) states that the church front is Romanesque with red brick and three pointed spires, but from the side the appearance of a Korean house with a tiled roof is seen. It introduces this church as an exceptional early basilica-plan Korean-house church and the only two-story church building with exposed rafters in the country, with high ceilings and exposed wood inside. The bell tower was expanded in Gothic brick style in 1955. The stained glass on the 2-floor choir loft side contains simplified sacred images mainly in bright primary colors, and beneath the altar in the center is placed a portrait of the first pastor, Servant of God Father Antoine Gombert (1875-1950), while five holy pictures including Our Lady of Good Counsel were brought from France. The Stations of the Cross placed along the walkway around the church are sculpted in each station in the form of Mary holding Jesus in her arms, and the statue of Mary in the Marian garden below the church steps was cast about 100 years ago.

The 100 anniversary memorial church of parish establishment was built as a white building in an entirely different exposed-concrete technique in order to preserve the red-brick appearance of the old historic church (Good News). The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture states that this memorial church was built below the old church in exposed-concrete technique and is now used as the church. The Catholic Times (2025) introduces that the main church, the “Mother of Good Counsel” memorial church built to commemorate the 100 anniversary, and the 100 anniversary memorial hall stand together in one place.

Related Places and People

• Father Antoine Gombert (Antoine Gombert, 1875-1950): the first pastor of Anseong Parish. According to the Catholic Times (2025), June 25, 1950 was the day of his golden jubilee celebration for the 50 anniversary of priestly ordination the previous day, and he, then spiritual director of the Seoul Carmelite women's monastery, remained in the monastery to protect the sisters despite evacuation advice after hearing news of the war, was arrested on July 15 and transferred to Pyongyang. He was later taken to the Gosan-jin internment camp and died in Junggang-jin at age 75 at the end of the “death march” toward Junggang-jin. The paper reports that he is a Servant of God and that Father Park U-seong hoped the path to beatification and canonization would open.
• Anbeop High School: the school continuing to today from Anbeop School founded by Father Gombert in 1909 (Catholic Times, Good News).
• Daecheondong Parish: the parish separated and established from Anseong (Gupodong) Parish on June 29, 1970 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Dunjisil Parish: the Dunjisil Catholic mission chapel under Gupodong Parish was elevated to a parish on February 13, 1992 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Gongseri Parish: the parish from which Anseong Parish was divided, according to the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture.

References and Sources

1. Suwon Diocese, Good News Catholic Shrines “Anseong Church (former Gupodong Church)”. Establishment of Catholic mission chapels, parish establishment on October 19, 1900, Father Gombert and Anbeop School, church dedication in 1922, bell tower expansion in 1955, renaming to Gupodong Parish in 1970, designation as Gyeonggi Monument in 1985, 100 anniversary memorial church in 2000 and memorial hall in 2005.
   https://app.catholic.or.kr/web/holyplace/?seq=3641
2. The Academy of Korean Studies, Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture “Anseong Gupodong Church”. Division and founding from Gongseri Parish in 1901, first pastor Gombert, design and supervision by Father Poisnel, building materials, floor plan and bell tower structure, provincial monument designation (1985.6.28).
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0034801
3. Catholic Times, “[Suwon Diocese Church Pilgrimage] Anseong Church” (published 2025-06-01, No. 3444). Architectural style and interior space, cultural heritage designation, altar production, later life of Father Gombert.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/20250526500079
4. Catholic Times, “[Korean Church History Encountered in the Diocese (28)] Anseong Church: The Church during the Japanese Colonial Period” (published 2024-07-14, No. 3401). Foundation of Anbeop School (January 1909), Father Gombert's activities during the 3 and 1 Movements.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/20240708500168
5. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Daecheondong Parish”. Circumstances of separation and establishment from Anseong (now Gupodong) Parish on June 29, 1970.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1312
6. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Dunjisil Parish”. Establishment of Gupodong Parish in 1900 and change of jurisdiction, elevation to Dunjisil Parish in 1992.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1345