Baegot Church

History & origins

Baegot Parish was established on June 13, 2017, in response to the growth of Baegot New Town in Siheung. It was formed from Siwha St. Paul Parish and began with about 900 Catholics. As new-town development brought new families and Catholics into the area, a separate pastoral center became necessary. Without a permanent church building at first, the new parish continued its community life in a temporary church and container structures.

As the local population and the number of parishioners increased rapidly, construction of a permanent church became a long-term parish project. A building committee was formed in August 2019, and parishioners participated through offerings of rosary prayers, a special building-fund campaign, donations of religious items, and sales of agricultural products. Diocesan records show that this process was not merely fundraising but also a way of drawing the members of the new parish into a more cohesive community.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 3, 2022, beginning full-scale construction. The new church was designed around the idea of harmony between tradition and modernity. Its basement and three above-ground floors were planned to contain a Eucharistic adoration chapel, meeting rooms, catechetical spaces, the main church, and choir and broadcasting facilities, allowing the rapidly growing parish to accommodate liturgy, education, and community activities in one complex.

After construction was completed, the community celebrated the move-in Mass for the new church on September 28, 2024. About seven years after beginning in temporary spaces, the parish had gained a stable church and pastoral center. The history of Baegot Parish clearly shows how a small Catholic community expanded with a new town and, through the participation of its members, established a permanent home for parish life.