Juksan Catholic Church

Overview

Juksan Church is a church in Juksan-ri, Juksan-myeon, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Diocese of Suwon. It was built to honor the faithful martyred at the Juksan Dohobu during the Byeongin Persecution, and became a parish in 1983 through the Jangneung-ri Catholic mission chapel in Juksan. Its patron is the Queen of Martyrs (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Catholic Newspaper reports that parishioners led the creation of the Juksan Martyrs’ Shrine.

History

〔Byeongin Persecution and Martyrdom Site〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the area under Juksan Parish was Juksan-hyeon in the Joseon period, with a Dohobu as the local administrative office, and the Dohobu had an execution ground where criminals from each district were seized and executed. During the Byeongin Persecution many Catholics were beheaded at this execution ground, and according to the Diary of Martyrdom and Ch. Dallet’s History of the Catholic Church in Korea, 24 faithful are reported to have been martyred at the Juksan Shrine (Woljeong-ri, Iljuk-myeon, Anseong-si). After the persecution, records that believers lived on remain only fragmentary, and no record of the formation of a faith community appears. The Catholic Newspaper reports that believers from the area under the Juksan Dohobu were all brought here, interrogated and martyred, that local people called the martyrdom site the ‘Forgotten Site,’ meaning that once taken there one was already dead and should be forgotten, and that because of that persecution all believers left their hometown so that for 60 years not a single believer lived there.

〔Establishment of the Mission Chapel〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that a faith community arose again in this area from about 1932 when the couple Yi Byeong-eul (Zachariah) and U Elisabeth moved in, followed the next year by the couple Jo Gyu-o (John) and Kim Agatha. In 1934 the first Mass was offered at Jo Gyu-o’s house, establishing the Jangneung-ri Catholic mission chapel in Juksan, and from 1935 the Easter confession was administered at the house of the first chapel chairman U Elisabeth. The 2 chapel chairman Yi Byeong-eul formed a committee in 1956 to promote construction of a chapel hall, secured land of 808 pyeong at lot 430 in Juksan-ri (the present parish site) in 1958, and built a hall with an area of 20 pyeong in 1961. The Catholic Newspaper also reports that believing families moved to Juksan from 1932, the Jangneung-ri Catholic mission chapel in Juksan was established, and as believers increased a mission chapel hall was prepared in 1961.

〔Promotion of Church Construction and Elevation to Parish〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in 1979 Father Lee Jeong-un (Peter), the 21 pastor of Gupo-dong (now Anseong) Parish, confirmed and verified 24 martyr forebears martyred in Juksan from church literature on the Byeongin Persecution, and on December 25 of the same year organized the ‘Committee to Promote Construction of Juksan Church on the Byeongin Martyrdom Shrine’ to mark the 80 anniversary of the founding of Anseong Parish, and published the research collection titled Byeongin Martyrdom Shrine, Juksan, Gyeonggi-do (the Catholic Newspaper gives the collection title as ‘Byeongin Martyrdom Shrine, Juksan, Gyeonggi-do, 1866–1871’). In June 1980 ownership of 808 pyeong of mission chapel land passed to the Suwon Diocesan Foundation, and in September the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church was held (the Catholic Newspaper states that after a resolution by the diocesan council in July 1980, the groundbreaking was held in September of the same year). In June 1981 construction stopped due to a priest transfer and lack of funds; the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that on November 5 of the same year the Juksan mission chapel was elevated to quasi-parish by diocesan decree and construction resumed, while the Catholic Newspaper states it was elevated to quasi-parish on June 23, 1981, immediately after construction stopped. In 1982 additional land of 100 pyeong was purchased to install the church main gate, and in 1983 the mission chapel hall was expanded and remodeled into an education building.

〔Parish Establishment〕 The founding date of Juksan Parish differs by source. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states it was separated from Gupo-dong (now Anseong) Parish and founded on September 8, 1983, and the Catholic Newspaper states the parish was founded on August 1, 1983. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first pastor Father Choe Jae-pil (Andrew) took office and devoted himself to expanding church strength and building the church, and the 3 pastor Father Jo Uk-hyeon (Thomas) newly built a convent and a parish office (slate floors 1–2, total floor area 50 pyeong). Church construction promoted after elevation to parish was completed in September 1987 during the term of the 4 pastor Father Han Tae-mun (Cyrillo), with a dedication ceremony. The Catholic Newspaper reports that the new church dedication was held in 1987, and that, as a church honoring the martyrs, a Juksan Martyrs monument and a stele inscribed with the names of 24 martyrs were erected inside the church. In March 1989 a branch of the Mirinae Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary was installed in the parish, giving Juksan Parish a complete parish structure (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

〔Development of Juksan Shrine and Later〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the Juksan Shrine, 2.7km from the parish, had been neglected until the early 1990s for various reasons, but the 6 pastor Father Kang Jeong-geun (Matthias) fully launched shrine development in February 1992, and from the mid-1990s worked with shrine development to strengthen believers’ devotion. The Catholic Newspaper reports that although the parish was a poor rural parish, it purchased the land of the ‘Forgotten Site’ where the martyrs were martyred and united to make it sacred, and that this land was proclaimed a diocesan shrine in 1995, becoming the foundation for today’s Juksan Shrine development. In May 2002 most parishioners engaged in livestock farming suffered great damage from foot-and-mouth disease (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Catholic Newspaper states that at the time of writing 1,449 believers formed the community and that the parish joins in caring for Juksan Shrine, serving at large and small shrine events.

〔Jurisdiction, Church Strength, and Successive Priests〕 The jurisdiction recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is all of Juksan-myeon in Anseong-si and parts of Samjuk-myeon, Iljuk-myeon, and Baegam-myeon. Church strength was 1,395 in 1983, 1,576 in 1988, 1,795 in 1993, 2,091 in 1999, and 2,351 in 2002. Successive priests are listed as the first Choe Jae-pil Andrew (1983.9–1984.9), 2 Kim Bong-hak Paul (1984.9–1985.2), 3 Jo Uk-hyeon Thomas (1985.2–1986.7), 4 Han Tae-mun Cyrillo (1986.7–1990.12), 5 Jo Yeong-o Dominic Savio (1990.12–1992.2), 6 Kang Jeong-geun Matthias (1992.2–1998.1), 7 Lee In-seok Heron (1998.1–2002.1), and 8 Park Man-sang Stephen (2001.1–).

Related Places and People

• Juksan Martyrs’ Shrine: the martyrdom site of 24 martyrs interrogated and martyred at the Juksan Dohobu during the Byeongin Persecution, located 2.7km from the parish. Parishioners secured land and led its development, and it was proclaimed a diocesan shrine in 1995 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholic Newspaper).
• Juksan Dohobu: the local administrative office of Juksan-hyeon in the Joseon period, where believers were brought, interrogated and executed during the Byeongin Persecution (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholic Newspaper).
• Anseong (Gupo-dong) Parish: the mother parish of Juksan Parish. The 21 pastor Father Lee Jeong-un (Peter) verified 24 martyrs of Juksan and organized the church construction committee (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Jangneung-ri Catholic mission chapel in Juksan: the predecessor mission chapel of Juksan Parish, established with the first Mass offered at Jo Gyu-o’s house in 1934 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Yi Byeong-eul (Zachariah) and U Elisabeth: a couple who moved to this area in about 1932; Yi Byeong-eul promoted chapel hall construction as the 2 chapel chairman, and U Elisabeth was the first chapel chairman (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Juksan Parish” (Volume 10). Separation and founding from Gupo-dong Parish on September 8, 1983, patron, jurisdiction, church strength, successive priests, mission chapel founding and church building, shrine development.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5763
2. Catholic Newspaper, “[Following the History of Diocesan Parishes] Juksan Parish of the Pyeongtaek Vicariate” (November 2016). Byeongin Persecution and ‘Forgotten Site,’ mission chapel founding in 1934, elevation to quasi-parish in 1981, parish founding on August 1, 1983, church dedication in 1987, shrine development.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201611010170933