Joam Catholic Church

Overview

Joam Church is a church in Joam-ri, Ujeong-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Diocese of Suwon. It was separated and established from Balan Parish on January 5, 1973, and its patrons are the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. In August 2017, it moved to a new church building built on the site of the former church building.

History

〔Preparation for the Parish Foundation〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in the Ujeong-myeon and Jangan-myeon areas of Hwaseong-gun under the jurisdiction of Balan Parish, in the 1960s the number of faithful surged and the distance from the parish seat was also great, so the need to establish a new parish was raised. In January 1966, the Joam Parish New Building Committee was organized, and committee chairman Kim Jin-cheol (John) in 1971 donated 521 pyeong of church land, and in September of that year began construction of a rectory and an auditorium with a size of 42 pyeong.

〔Parish Foundation and Construction of the Church〕 The Diocese of Suwon announced the establishment of Joam Parish on January 5, 1973 and appointed Father Kim Byeong-ryeol (Boniface) as the first pastor (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia records that at the time of foundation there were 186 households and 986 faithful. According to the encyclopedia, in February of the following year construction of the auditorium was completed and a blessing ceremony was held officiated by Bishop Yun Gong-hui (Victorinus), and the first pastor additionally purchased 217 pyeong as church land in June 1973, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new church in May of the following year, and completed it in November. In November 1975, a convent with a size of 21 pyeong was completed, and a blessing ceremony was held in May 1976 officiated by Bishop Kim Nam-su (Angelo), and in February 1977 a branch house of the Sisters of the Holy Heart of Our Lady of Mirinae was established. The Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia records that on May 6, 1976 a church blessing ceremony and a convent blessing ceremony were held officiated by Bishop Kim Nam-su.

〔1980s–2000s〕 According to the encyclopedia, the 3 pastor, Father Seo Jong-seon (Thomas), in March 1985 built a new convent and education hall with a size of 120 pyeong, and in September 1986 purchased 37 pyeong of land and rebuilt the wall, forming the present framework. The 4 pastor, Father Lee Jong-cheol (Venantio), in September 1987 founded the adult altar servers group, and the 5 pastor, Father Song Byeong-seon (Joseph), in March 1993 founded the Daegeon Association and carried out a campaign to help needy neighbors. The 6 pastor, Father Heo Jeong-hyeon (John the Baptist), in November 1994 launched the Association for the Deceased and in January 1995 published a collection of annual events and group activities. The 8 pastor, Father Ryu Jong-gu (Michael), on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the parish foundation, reorganized pastoral activities with emphasis on Sunday Mass and prayer life and on deepening the faith, in June 1999 repaired the front of the church, and in October confirmed St. Peter and St. Paul as the parish patrons. The 9 pastor, Father Choi Byeong-yong (Matthias), in May 2000 purchased 163 pyeong of land and additionally 31 pyeong, completing a parking lot in October 2002, and revitalized various groups and small community gatherings centered on the parish pastoral council.

〔Martyrs Honoring Mass and the New Church Building〕 According to the Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia, on September 24, 2011 over 250 faithful participated and offered a Mass in honor of the martyrs. At that time, the relics of the martyr St. Boniface and the relics of St. Choe Gyeong-hwan (Francis) enshrined at Joam Church, together with the relics of St. Kim Seong-u (Anthony) enshrined at Hyangnam Church, were brought together for the Mass. To build a new church, the old church building was demolished and the parish moved to a temporary parish in June 2014, and after completing the new church building on the site of the old church building, the move took place from after the 10 o’clock Mass on August 30, 2017 until September 1. The same source records that as of 2020, there were 710 households and 1,590 faithful with 1 priests, that the church premises are 6,870㎡ of land and 1,327.6㎡ of buildings, and that affiliated groups include the Legion of Mary and Cursillo.

〔Jurisdiction, Statistics, and Successive Priests〕 The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is all of Ujeong-eup, Hwaseong-si and part of Jangan-myeon, and the Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia records the same area. The statistics are in 1973, 1,051 faithful, in 1979, 1,493 faithful, in 1985, 2,121 faithful, in 1990, 2,512 faithful, in 1995, 2,762 faithful, and in 2001, 2,826 faithful. The successive priests are the first, Kim Byeong-yeol Boniface (1973.1~1981.6), the 2 priest, Lee Jong-cheol Stephen (1981.6~1984.2), the 3 priest, Seo Jong-seon Thomas (1984.2~1987.2), the 4 priest, Lee Jong-cheol Venantio (1987.2~1990.11), the 5 priest, Song Byeong-seon Joseph (1990.11~1994.1), the 6 priest, Heo Jeong-hyeon John the Baptist (1994.1~1995.2), the 7 priest, Lee Hu-jin Matthias (1995.2~1998.1), the 8 priest, Ryu Jong-gu Michael (1998.1~2000.1), the 9 priest, Choi Byeong-yong Matthias (2000.1~2003.1), and the 10 priest, Kim Bong-gi Matthew (2003.1~).

Related Places and People

• Balan Parish: the mother parish of Joam Parish, from whose jurisdiction in Ujeong-myeon and Jangan-myeon in 1973, Joam Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia).
• Kim Jin-cheol (John): as chairman of the Joam Parish New Building Committee, in 1971 he donated 521 pyeong of church land (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sisters of the Holy Heart of Our Lady of Mirinae: the congregation that established a branch house at Joam Parish in February 1977 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Hyangnam Church: the church where the relics of St. Kim Seong-u (Anthony) enshrined there were brought together with the relics enshrined at Joam Church in 2011 at the Martyrs Honoring Mass (Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Joam Parish” (Vol. 10). Separation and foundation from Balan Parish on January 5, 1973, patron, jurisdiction, statistics, successive priests, preparation for parish foundation, church construction, and subsequent pastoral activities.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5629
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Hwaseong City Cultural Encyclopedia “Joam Church”. Numbers of households and faithful at foundation, the 1976 blessing, the 2011 Martyrs Honoring Mass, the 2014–2017 move to the new church building, the 2020 status.
   https://hwaseong.grandculture.net/hwaseong/toc/GC08600957