Ojeondong Catholic Church

History & origins

Ojeon-dong Parish was established on January 30, 2001, when it was separated from Hogye-dong Parish. The new community organized itself around Catholics living in the Ojeon-dong area of Uiwang, took St. Joseph Im Chi-baek as its patron, and developed into an independent pastoral community.

As pastoral needs in the area continued to grow, Wanggok Parish was in turn separated from Ojeon-dong Parish on September 26, 2006. The Diocese of Suwon describes the two communities as mother and daughter parishes and records that, even after the separation, they maintained ties through joint Ultreya gatherings, priests celebrating Mass in each other’s parishes, and support for the construction of the new church.

Ahead of the parish’s tenth anniversary, work began in 2011 to compile the history of its first decade. Materials from parish committees and groups were gathered, and the recollections of former pastors and lay volunteers were organized. This effort became a way of preserving the memory of a relatively young community. The history of Ojeon-dong Parish thus reflects a broader process in which it became independent from Hogye-dong and later gave rise to Wanggok Parish as local pastoral structures became more closely adapted to the area.