Eungye-dong Catholic Church

History & origins

Eungye-dong Parish began in 2002 when it was separated from Osan Parish. The Diocese of Suwon created several new parishes, including Eungye-dong, at the beginning of that year, and the new community began independent parish life under the patronage of St. Anthony Kim Song-u. Development and population change in the Dongtan area were increasing the need to divide the territories of existing parishes.

After its establishment, the parish spent many years preparing a permanent church. According to diocesan records, after roughly a decade of prayer and contributions for a new church, the community celebrated a groundbreaking Mass and ceremony on June 9, 2012. The process was recorded not merely as a construction project but also as a period of spiritual preparation in which parishioners joined in Scripture copying and other forms of prayer.

Construction and preparation continued after the groundbreaking, and the official chronology of the Diocese of Suwon records the dedication of Eungye-dong Church on November 1, 2020. About eighteen years after the parish was founded and eight years after groundbreaking, the formal dedication brought the long building process to completion.

The history of Eungye-dong Parish thus reflects the separation of a new community from Osan Parish amid rapid changes in the Dongtan living area, followed by years of preparation and prayer to secure a permanent church. The changes between the parish’s inherited name and its present local setting also reflect this period of regional development. The 2012 building plan included not only the main church but also catechetical rooms, meeting rooms, and administrative spaces needed for parish activities. This shows that after the long period of preparation, the new church was conceived not merely as a place for liturgy but as a comprehensive pastoral space for formation and community life.