Gamgol Church

History & origins

Gamgol Parish was established on October 1, 2004, after being separated from Daehak-dong Parish as Ansan expanded and the Catholic population grew. The history of the Diocese of Suwon also records it among the new parishes established on that date, and the first pastor began his assignment at the same time. Because the new community had no dedicated church building, finding a stable place for parish life became its most immediate challenge.

Parishioners considered renting a basement commercial space in an apartment complex or even using a tent as a church. They then learned of a building known as “Seonjae Jeongsa,” which had been used as a Buddhist kindergarten. After passing through another religious owner during the sale process, the property was eventually acquired by the Catholic community. The transformation of a space bearing the history of other religious uses into the church of Gamgol Parish became a distinctive episode in the parish’s early history.

Once the building was secured, extensive remodeling was carried out through the offerings, sacrifice, and volunteer labor of parishioners. Spaces suitable for liturgy, catechesis, and community gatherings were created, allowing the parish to move from the unstable conditions of a newly founded community to a more settled pastoral base. As the parish approached its 10th anniversary in 2014, community leaders recalled the shared effort of completing the church as one of its defining memories.

Gamgol later expanded its attention from internal community-building to service and solidarity in the wider neighborhood and diocese. It supported meal programs for vulnerable residents and assisted the construction of another parish church, showing a desire to share the help it had itself received. Its history thus traces the path of a new parish that overcame the difficulty of securing a place, established a church, and then broadened its pastoral and charitable presence.