Byeongjeom Catholic Church

Overview

Byeongjeom Church is a church in Byeongjeom-dong, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Suwon Diocese. Beginning around 1913 as the Byeongjeom Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Wangnim Parish, it became a quasi-parish on December 3, 1985, and was elevated to a parish on August 1, 1987. Its patron is the Mother of the Savior.

History

[Mission Chapel Era] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, although Byeongjeom was called ‘Tteokjeon Street,’ it is uncertain when faith first spread there, but judging from the fact that during the persecution era believers mainly hid in pottery villages in mountainous areas and continued their life of faith, it is presumed that a faith community formed around the pottery village at the foot of Gubongsan in Byeongjeom as well. Around 1913, the 5 pastor of Wangnim Parish at the time, Father Le Gac (Le Gac), established the Byeongjeom Catholic mission chapel with 62 believers, but Father Le Gac died of typhoid on May 26 of the following year, and his successor Father Kim Won-yeong (Augustino) came to visit this place. Afterwards the Byeongjeom Catholic mission chapel grew in church strength every year, and in 1920 it recorded 214 believers, the largest number among 37 mission chapels under Wangnim Parish. Before that, around the completion of the mission chapel hall, on November 16, 1918, Father Kim Won-yeong petitioned Bishop A. Mutel (A. Mutel) to donate the statue of the Virgin Mary in the dining room of the rectory of Jonghyeon Parish, now Myeongdong. The Digital Hwaseong Culture Encyclopedia states that the Byeongjeom mission chapel was established in 1892 as a mission chapel belonging to Buksu-dong Church of the Seoul Diocese.

[Changes in the Mission Chapel Era] According to the encyclopedia, in November 1923, when the Suweon-eup mission chapel was elevated to a parish, the Byeongjeom mission chapel came under the jurisdiction of Suwon Parish, now Buksu-dong. On December 6, 1926, Father Molimard (Molimard), who had been assistant priest of Maehwa-dong Parish in Hwanghae-do, stayed here briefly until the spring of 1928 to learn the Korean language, and from October 1934 to 1936, Father Kim Yu-ryong (Philipbo), assistant priest of Wangnim Parish, ministered in Byeongjeom. At the end of the Japanese colonial period, as the pottery business declined, many faithful moved elsewhere and only a few faithful kept the mission chapel, but in the early 1970s the number of mission chapel believers gradually increased due to reverse migration from cities, and in August 1981, when Maegyo-dong Parish was established, the Byeongjeom mission chapel was transferred to the new parish. The culture encyclopedia states that the Byeongjeom mission chapel, which had belonged to Maegyo-dong Church as a mission chapel on August 21, 1981, was elevated to a quasi-parish on December 3, 1985, and then elevated to a parish on August 1, 1987, as its church strength grew.

[Quasi-Parish and Elevation to Parish] According to the encyclopedia, Maegyo-dong Parish, which planned to divide the parish because of the increase in believers in the early 1980s, organized a church construction preparatory committee, secured 1,313 pyeong at the present site on March 5, 1985, and began construction on March 17. In the same year it completed the church, the rectory, and the hall on July 30, but it was not immediately elevated to a parish and was established as a quasi-parish on December 3, 1985. At that time the number of believers was 597 in 198 households, and Father Kim Han-cheol of the Air Force chaplaincy resided here and celebrated Mass. The following year, by inviting the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul on June 15 and meeting other requirements for elevation to a parish, it was elevated to a parish on August 1, 1987. The first pastor, Father Kim Han-cheol, encouraged the activities of various lay groups by organizing the Association for the Deceased in January 1988 and the Saint Anne Association on March 4, the 2 pastor, Father Seo Beom-seok, focused on strengthening the faith life of believers and evangelization, and the 3 pastor, Father Ju In-bae, composed a short form of the prayer for the invocation of the 103 Korean martyr saints and prayed it with all the faithful after every Mass. Father Yun Min-jae, who took office in February 1997, formed district brotherhoods for male believers as a way to revitalize small Christian communities, strengthened youth ministry, and recommended 1 person joining 1 group activities and reading spiritual books.

[Construction of the New Church Building and Division of Daughter Churches] According to the Digital Hwaseong Culture Encyclopedia, the parish held the groundbreaking ceremony for the church building on October 26, 1999, and held the dedication ceremony officiated by Bishop Choi Deok-gi (Paulo) on September 20, 2003. On October 1, 2004, it divided off Annyeong Church in Annyeong-dong, Hwaseong-si (1,024 persons in 375 households), and on September 26, 2006, it divided off Gisan Church in Gisan-dong, Hwaseong-si (1,343 persons in 518 households). In 2015, it launched for all believers the prayer meeting ‘Lux Mea (Lux Mea)’ begun by the Suwon Diocese youth department, and in 2020, to continue the prayer meeting online because of the spread of COVID-19, it sponsored the development of a mobile app and continued the prayer meeting.

[Present Situation and Church Statistics] According to the culture encyclopedia, Byeongjeom Church has jurisdiction over Neung-dong, Byeongjeom-dong, and part of Jinan-dong in Hwaseong-si and belongs to the Osan District of the 1 Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese. As of 2020, the number of households is 1,592 households, the number of believers is 3,895 persons, with 1 priests and 2 sisters, and the assigned missionary sisters are the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul of Suwon. The church premises measure 3,004㎡ of land and 2,592.2㎡ of buildings, and its affiliated groups include the Legion of Mary, Ultreya, ME (Marriage Encounter), the Association for the Deceased, the Saint Anne Association, and the choir. The church statistics in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 903 persons in 1987, 1,119 persons in 1991, and 1,435 persons in 1995, and its jurisdiction at that time covered Byeongjeom-ri, Jinan-ri, Gisan-ri, Banwol-ri, Neung-ri, Songsan-ri, Annyeong-ri, Hwanggye-ri, and Banjeong-ri in Taean-eup and the areas of Yangsan-dong, Segyo-dong, Jigot-dong, and Oesammi-dong in Osan-si.

[Successive Parish Priests] The successive priests listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Father Kim Han-cheol Juliano (1987.8–1988.4), interim Father Bae Yeong-ho Petero (1988.4–9), 2 Father Seo Beom-seok Joseph (1988.9–1994.3), 3 Father Ju In-bae Petero (1994.3–1997.2), and 4 Father Yun Min-jae Petero (1997.2–).

Related Places and People

• Maegyo-dong Parish: the parish to which the Byeongjeom mission chapel was transferred in August 1981, and Byeongjeom Parish was elevated to a parish in 1987 from a quasi-parish under this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Wangnim Parish: the parish to which the Byeongjeom mission chapel belonged, and in 1920 the Byeongjeom mission chapel had the largest number of believers among 37 mission chapels under its jurisdiction (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Annyeong Church (2004) and Gisan Church (2006): churches divided off from Byeongjeom Church (Digital Hwaseong Culture Encyclopedia).
• Father Le Gac (Le Gac) and Father Kim Won-yeong (Augustino): priests of Wangnim Parish associated with the founding and early ministry of the Byeongjeom mission chapel (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Byeongjeom Parish”. Mission chapel era, transfer to Maegyo-dong Parish in 1981, quasi-parish in 1985 and elevation to parish in 1987, successive priests, church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2553
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Hwaseong Culture Encyclopedia “Byeongjeom Church” (written by Jeong Jong-deuk). Purpose of foundation, changes, dedication of the church building and division of Annyeong and Gisan, present situation.
   https://hwaseong.grandculture.net/hwaseong/toc/GC08600947