Daecheondong Catholic Church

Overview

Daecheon-dong Church is a church in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Suwon. In 1970, it was separated and established from Anseong (present-day Gupo-dong) Parish, its patron is St. Peter the Apostle, and it spun off Gongdo Parish and Yangseong Parish. It is also called Daecheon-dong St. Peter Parish.

History

[Establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the movement to establish a new parish in the town center gained momentum with the growth of Anseong Parish, a committee to promote the construction of a new church was formed in 1969. In July of the following year, at lot 154 in Daecheon-dong, land of 322 pyeong and a wooden building were purchased and used as a temporary church. The encyclopedia records the establishment date as June 29, 1970. The parish overview on the parish website records the establishment date as July 20, 1970, while the history section states that the parish was erected on June 29, 1970, divided from its mother parish, Anseong Parish (with about 8 hundred faithful transferring), that land of 372 pyeong was purchased on July 20, and that the founding pastor, Father Han Uisu (Peter), took office. The parish day is June 29.

[Completion and New Construction of the Church] According to the encyclopedia and the website history, the newly built church was completed on June 29, 1971, and the encyclopedia states that the church blessing ceremony was held on October 1, 1972. On June 12, 1978, the ‘Queen of the Apostles’ Pr. was established, and on July 5, 1979, the rectory and convent were completed (website history). The encyclopedia states that in July 1979 a prefabricated 2-story building was completed, with the 1 floor used as the rectory and the 2 floor used as the convent and parish office, and that in June of the same year a branch house of the Mirinae Sisters of the Holy Heart of Mary was installed. In October 1975, cooperation was requested from the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres and 1 sisters were welcomed, but as there was no convent building they commuted from the Gupo-dong parish convent and withdrew in November 1977.

[New Church Site and Relocation] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in December 1987 land of 1,800 pyeong was purchased in Manjeong-ri, and on April 15, 1990, with a plan to relocate the overcrowded church, rice paddies at lots 160~161 in Dangwang-ri were purchased. On May 2 of the following year, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new construction was held, and it was completed in November 1994, about 4 years later. The website history states that on April 15, 1990, a new church site of 1422 pyeong (6 hundred million 4890 ten thousand won) was purchased in Dangwang-dong, and that the move to the newly built church took place on November 11~12, 1994. On November 16, 1990, a prefabricated hall was newly built and blessed at the Samam-ri Catholic mission chapel under its jurisdiction (encyclopedia).

[Spin-offs and Dedication] According to the website history, on January 25, 2000, it spun off its daughter parish, Gongdo Parish (with a total of faithful in 1999 of 6,960 people), held the dedication ceremony for the new church building on September 7, 2003 (officiated by Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi), and spun off its daughter parish, Yangseong Parish, on September 30. The parish overview on the website records the dedication date as September 7, 2003 in Dangwang-dong (blessed by Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi). On March 18, 2007, a farewell gathering was held for parishioners affected by the division of its jurisdiction, and 416 households and 1,097 people were transferred to Anseong Parish.

[The 2010s] According to the website history, on June 29, 2011, the unveiling ceremony for the statue of St. Peter, patron of the parish, and a concert commemorating Parish Day were held, and in December of the same year the church environment improvement work (11 hundred million 682 ten thousand 5 hundred won) was completed. On August 19, 2013, the relics of St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon were enshrined, and on November 2 the blessing ceremony for the outdoor Stations of the Cross was held. On June 26, 2018, the 16th pastor, Father Mun Byeong-hak (Joseph, dean of Anseong District), took office, and from August 5 construction began on cathedral repair work and remodeling (total 3 hundred million 5856 ten thousand 3260 won).

[Successive Pastors and Activities] The successive pastors as recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the founding pastor Han Uisu Peter (1970.6~1972.7), the 2th Han Jong-hun Stephen (1972.7~1975.10), the 3th Park Geon-sun Benedict (1975.10~1980.4), the 4th Lee Gyu-cheol Joseph (1980.4~1984.9), the 5th Yun Min-gu Dominic (1984.9~1985.2), the 6th Kim Bong-hak Paul (1985.2~1990.12), and the 7th Han Tae-mun Cyril (1990.12~). The 2th pastor, Father Han Jong-hun, together with Ryu Uk-hyeong (Peter), the parish council president who contributed to the church site and construction, worked to develop Mirinae Shrine under the parish’s jurisdiction and organized a medical service volunteer group. The 3th pastor, Father Park Geon-sun, encouraged Cursillo education, and the 4th pastor, Father Lee Gyu-cheol, carried out a campaign to double the number of faithful and retreats for all parishioners. The 6th pastor, Father Kim Bong-hak, organized the Daegeon Association, a youth and middle-aged group, and promoted ‘Sharing of Love,’ while the 7th pastor, Father Han Tae-mun, purchased a 45-seater bus on June 14, 1993. The church statistics recorded in the encyclopedia are in 1970 1,669 people, in 1975 2,000 people, in 1985 3,627 people, in 1990 4,592 people, and in 1994 5,394 people.

Related Places and People

• Anseong (Gupo-dong) Church: It is the mother parish from which Daecheon-dong Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, parish website).
• Gongdo Church and Yangseong Church: They are daughter parishes spun off from Daecheon-dong Parish on January 25, 2000 and September 30, 2003 respectively (parish website).
• Mirinae Shrine: It is a shrine whose development was promoted under the jurisdiction of Daecheon-dong Parish during the tenure of the 2th Father Han Jong-hun (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Daecheon-dong Parish” (Vol. 3). Background of establishment, church completion and blessing, new construction and relocation, successive pastors, church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/1312
2. Anseong Daecheon-dong St. Peter Catholic Church, History and Logo. Parish overview (establishment date, dedication date, mother parish, daughter parishes) and history for 1970~2018.
   http://xn--ok1bna56d972bson.kr/theme/daecheon/html/bondang/02.php