Osan Catholic Church

Overview

Osan Church is a church of the Suwon Diocese located in Cheonghak-dong, Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do. It was separated and established from Seo Jeong-dong Parish on July 2, 1964, and with the blessing ceremony in May 1965, ‘Star of the Sea’ was designated as the parish patron.

History

〔Formation of the Faith Community〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia states that the time when Catholicism was transmitted to the Osan area is unknown, but believers seem to have been present in this area around the time Wangnim (Gatdeungi) Parish was established in 1888, and writes that a full faith community seems to have been born as a Catholic mission chapel came into being in Beoreum-ri in 1895–1896 and a Catholic mission chapel was established in Segyo-ri in 1896–1897. The Catholic Newspaper (2016) writes that when Gatdeungi Parish, the first parish of the diocese established in 1888, was founded, believers went around several villages to evangelize, and the faith in the Osan area took root through such evangelization. According to the same article, the introduction of the faith to the Osan area is estimated to be around the 1890s, and Seo Seong-ik (Peter) became drawn to the doctrine explained by a female believer who came to Beoreum-ri to evangelize, giving rise to the first believer in the Osan area. Seo Seong-ik later served as the first Catholic mission chapel chairman. Believers grew centered on the Beoreum-ri Catholic mission chapel and the Jandari Catholic mission chapel, and in 1955 the Osan-ri Catholic mission chapel was established.

〔Changes in Jurisdictional Parish and Parish Establishment〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Osan area became the jurisdiction of Baran Parish when Baran Parish was established in June 1957, and shortly afterwards changed to the jurisdiction of Seo Jeong-dong Parish. Osan was a transportation hub, and after the Korean War an air force base was installed and many factories were built around it, increasing the population. Father Kim Deok-je (Cyrillo), the 6 parish priest of Seo Jeong-ri Parish, keenly felt the need to establish a parish in the Osan area and promoted it, and as a result the diocese established Osan Parish on July 2, 1964 and appointed Father Lee Jong-sun as the first parish priest. The Catholic Newspaper writes that at the time of establishment the number of parish believers was 1,242, but with no chapel they gathered at the house of the Catholic mission chapel chairman to hold Catholic mission chapel services.

〔Early Church Construction〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia writes that with the new establishment of the parish, the first general chairman Seo Sang-gil (Ubaldo) donated land of 526 pyeong at 610 Osan-ri as the church site, and Father Lee Jong-sun newly built a church and rectory here in November 1964 and, with the blessing ceremony in May of the following year, designated ‘Star of the Sea’ as the parish patron. The Catholic Newspaper writes that Catholic mission chapel chairman Seo Sang-gil (Hubert) donated land at 610 Namcheon-dong, now Osan-si, and a church was built on that site, and Chairman Seo served as the first parish chairman for 15 years (the baptismal-name spellings differ between the two sources).

〔1970–80s〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, when Jeongnam Parish was established in May 1975, Osan Parish transferred Geumbok-ri, Goji-ri, Nae-ri and Sumyeon-ri, Jeongnam-myeon, Hwaseong-gun to Jeongnam Parish. In October of the same year it purchased a convent house and in May 1977 prepared a branch house of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, but this congregation withdrew in February 1979 and the Sisters of the Holy Heart of Our Lady of Mirinae newly entered, and from February 1993 the Sisters of Notre Dame have been assisting parish ministry. In September 1978 the Namsa Catholic mission chapel of Yongin Parish was transferred to the parish, and in July 1981 the ‘Star of the Sea’ Curia was established in the parish after separation from the Songtan ‘Saetbyeol’ Curia. In June 1982 an infant room was added, and after purchasing nearby land in 1985, a rectory and education hall were newly built the following year. The Catholic Newspaper writes that the number of believers increased rapidly so the church was expanded in 1987 but the need for a new church grew.

〔New Church Construction〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the number of believers exceeded 2 thousand in 1984, 3 thousand in 1988, and 4 thousand in 1991, and accordingly discussion of a new church began in earnest. The parish purchased a site (1,500-odd pyeong) at San 1-5 Cheonghak-dong in December 1990 and began fundraising for new construction in January of the following year, held a groundbreaking ceremony in May 1992, followed by completion and move-in of a 1-story small chapel in April 1993 and a rectory and convent in December. Later construction was delayed due to design changes, the bankruptcy of the construction company and other reasons, then all construction was completed in December 1998, and on September 1, 2001 it received completion approval and held the church blessing ceremony. The Catholic Newspaper writes that the parish established a church-construction promotion committee in 1990, purchased land owned by the Sisters of Notre Dame (San 1-5 Cheonghak-dong) in December 1990, and church construction proceeded slowly over 8 years.

〔After 1999 and Branch-offs〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, in April 1999 the parish opened the ‘Osan Catholic Broadcasting Station’ for the purposes of ‘regional mission’ and ‘continuing education of believers’, carried out a ‘7500,000-unit rosary movement for the evangelization of the Osan area’ and opened the Osan Church homepage. With the increase in believers, the encyclopedia writes that it branched off Galgot-dong Church in February 2000 and Eungye-dong Church in January 2002, while the Catholic Newspaper writes that it branched off Galgot-dong Parish in 2000 and Eungye-dong Parish in 2001. The encyclopedia writes that as of 2002 the parish had active Legion groups (27 praesidia) and the St. Joseph Association, St. Anna Association, Marian Association, Mothers’ Association, Association for the Deceased, Youth Association, Holy Spirit Prayer Volunteer Association, choir, Levi Association, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Founders’ Association, Teachers’ Association, Ultreya, altar servers, Udeumji (youth band), St. Thomas Aquinas Student Association and others, and the Catholic Newspaper (2016) writes that at the time about 4,100 believers formed the parish community.

〔Church Statistics〕 The church statistics recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 513 in 1965, 642 in 1971, 1,196 in 1974, 1,802 in 1980, 2,301 in 1985, 3,748 in 1990, 4,832 in 1995, 4,522 in 2000, and 5,367 in 2001. It records the jurisdiction as Osan-si (excluding Galgot-dong, Eungye-dong and Busan-dong, and excluding parts of Osan-dong, Won-dong and Sucheong-dong) and Jeongnam-myeon, Hwaseong-si and parts of Seotan-myeon.

〔Successive Parish Priests〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first Lee Jong-sun, Laurentius (1964.7–1967.1), the 2 Lee Jung-hyeon, John (1967.1–1969.12), the 3 Kang Won-yu, John (1969.12–1971.9), the 4 Shim Yeong-taek, Francis (1971.9–1978.4), the 5 Kang Won-yu (1978.4–1984.2), the 6 Kim Hwa-tae, Gervasio (1984.2–1987.2), the 7 Son Tae-seop, Mark (1987.2–1988.4), the 8 Jeong Un-taek, Andrew (1988.4–1992.2), the 9 Lee Chan-jong, Joseph (1992.2–1996.2), the 10 Jeong Jong-deuk, Paul (1996.2–2001.1), the 11 Lee Seong-hyo, Lino (2001.1–) took office. The Catholic Newspaper (2016) records the parish priest at the time as Father Bae Gyeong-seok, and this article introduces the parish as belonging to the Pyeongtaek Vicariate.

Architecture and Space

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Osan Parish built a church and rectory at 610 Osan-ri in November 1964 and blessed them in May of the following year, completed a 1-story small chapel in April 1993 and a rectory and convent in December on the new site (Cheonghak-dong), finished all construction in December 1998 and held the church blessing ceremony with completion approval on September 1, 2001. The new site was a site of 1,500-odd pyeong at San 1-5 Cheonghak-dong, and after the new church construction the lot number was changed to 73-10 Cheonghak-dong.

Related Places and People

• Wangnim (Gatdeungi) Parish: It is the first parish of the Suwon Diocese established in 1888. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the Catholic Newspaper write that the introduction of the faith to the Osan area is related to evangelization by believers around the time of this parish’s establishment.
• Seo Jeong-dong (Seo Jeong-ri) Parish: It is the mother parish from which Osan Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Jeongnam Parish (1975.5), Namsa Catholic mission chapel (transferred in 1978.9 from Yongin Parish), Galgot-dong Church, Eungye-dong Church: They are parishes related to jurisdictional changes and branch-offs of Osan Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Seo Sang-gil: As Osan Catholic mission chapel chairman and first general chairman of the parish, he is the person who donated the church site (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholic Newspaper).
• Father Kim Deok-je (Cyrillo): As the 6 parish priest of Seo Jeong-ri Parish, he promoted the establishment of Osan Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Osan Parish”. Separation and establishment from Seo Jeong-dong Parish on July 2, 1964, Catholic mission chapel establishment and jurisdictional changes, early church construction, new construction in the 1990s, branch-offs, church statistics, successive priests.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4612
2. Catholic Newspaper, “[Following the History of Diocesan Parishes] Pyeongtaek Vicariate Osan Parish” (2016-04-10, No. 2989). Transmission of the faith in the Osan area and growth of Catholic mission chapels, 1,242 believers at the time of parish establishment in 1964, land donation by Catholic mission chapel chairman Seo Sang-gil, new church construction and branch-offs.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201604060154511