Aaron's Retreat House

History & origins

Aaron House was built within St. Lazarus Village in the years leading up to the bicentennial of the Catholic Church in Korea, with the purpose of creating a place for retreat and encounter. Construction began on April 30, 1983, and after about a year of work the center was blessed and opened on May 8, 1984, with Bishop Kim Nam-su of Suwon presiding. Contemporary reports described it as a place where visitors could rest and renew their faith while reducing the social distance separating them from people affected by Hansen’s disease.

Use of the center grew quickly, leading to further expansion. In May 1992 a new wing was blessed by Bishop Kim Nam-su. It included a separate chapel, auditorium, group-discussion rooms, and spaces for individual retreat, allowing more than one group to stay at the same time. This development strengthened Aaron House as a full retreat center combining prayer and formation rather than simply providing accommodation.

Over time the center became an established venue within St. Lazarus Village for retreats, faith formation, meetings, and seminars. Its history is closely connected with the Church’s effort to encounter people affected by Hansen’s disease not as persons to be isolated but as neighbors with whom life is shared. More important than the expansion of its buildings is the continuity of its founding purpose: allowing visitors to experience prayer, formation, and a concrete form of coexistence within the village. It is also noteworthy that from the beginning the center was conceived for use by lay Catholics, clergy, religious, and visitors from the wider Church. Although located inside St. Lazarus Village, it was deliberately designed to welcome outsiders, giving physical form to an effort to move beyond the image of isolation and expand encounter and exchange within the Church. Because this purpose remains visible in the center’s programs and current description even after expansion, Aaron House can be seen as a representative space linking the social and spiritual vision of St. Lazarus Village with the wider public.