Sangnoksu Catholic Church

Overview

Sangnoksu Church is a church belonging to the Ansan Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese in Bono-dong, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do. On January 20, 1995, it was separated and established from Daehak-dong Parish, and in September of the same year it spun off Banwol-dong Parish, and in January 2000 Bono-dong Parish.

History

[Preparation for establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Daehak-dong Parish, which had jurisdiction over this area, planned to divide the parish as the number of faithful continued to grow and on November 3, 1992, purchased 789-1 and 789-3 in Bono-dong, measuring 409 pyeong, as the church site. Then in February 1994, it completed a prefabricated church, offices and a convent with a total floor area of 243 pyeong.

[Establishment of the parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the diocese established “Sangnoksu Parish” on January 20, 1995, and appointed Father Jo Won-gyu (James) as the first pastor. The number of faithful at the time of establishment recorded in the encyclopedia is 5,399. Immediately after taking office, Father Jo Won-gyu made active evangelization his pastoral guideline and founded a “visiting catechism group” for faithful with limited mobility. The Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia also records that Sangnoksu Church was divided and established from Daehak-dong Church on January 20, 1995.

[Separation of Banwol-dong Parish and the new church] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, only 9 months after the parish was established, on September 14, 1995, it separated Banwol-dong Parish, transferring parish registers of 295 households and 864 persons (the Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia records that after district reorganization work in September of the same year, it separated the Banwol area and spun off Banwol-dong Church). On November 1 of the same year, it purchased a site of 535 pyeong at 727 in Bono-dong and began construction of a new church on July 22, 1996. The encyclopedia records that a church (454 pyeong) and an education hall (198 pyeong) with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors were scheduled to be completed in December 1998, and the Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia records that a groundbreaking ceremony for the new sanctuary was held in July 1996 and a dedication ceremony for the new sanctuary was held in November 1999.

[After 2000] According to the Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia, in January 2000 Bono-dong Church was divided and spun off. The same source records that as of 2016, the pastor is Father Park Yu-hyeon (Vincenzo) and the number of faithful is 4,366, and that it has a pastoral council, liturgy committee, Legion of Mary, Association for the Deceased, Marian Association, choir, elementary and middle school teachers’ group, youth group, Maege Association (a men’s service group aged 50 and older), St. Paul Association (a men’s service group in their 30s and 40s), Evergreen Football Club, M.E. and others.

[Patron and jurisdiction and church strength] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists the parish patron as the Sacred Heart of Jesus, while the Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia lists the patron saint of Sangnoksu Church, belonging to Ansan 2 District of the Ansan Vicariate, as St. Paul and records that June 29 is celebrated each year as parish day, so the two sources differ. The jurisdiction recorded in the encyclopedia covers all of Bono 1–3-dong, Ildong, Idong and Palgogidong. The encyclopedia records that the number of faithful grew from 5,399 at the time of establishment to 6,790 at the end of December 1996.

Architecture and Space

According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Sangnoksu Parish purchased 409 pyeong at 789-1 and 789-3 in Bono-dong in November 1992 as the church site and in February 1994 completed a prefabricated church, offices and a convent with a total floor area of 243 pyeong. In November 1995 it purchased a site of 535 pyeong at 727 in Bono-dong and began new construction on July 22, 1996, pursuing a project for a church (454 pyeong) and an education hall (198 pyeong) with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors, scheduled for completion in December 1998. The Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia records a groundbreaking ceremony for the new sanctuary in July 1996 and a dedication ceremony for the new sanctuary in November 1999.

Related Places and People

• Daehak-dong Parish: the mother parish from which Sangnoksu Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia).
• Banwol-dong Parish (1995.9) and Bono-dong Parish (2000.1): parishes divided from Sangnoksu Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Church History Research Institute, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Sangnoksu Parish”. Establishment on January 20, 1995, site purchase and prefabricated church, separation of Banwol-dong Parish, new church plan, jurisdiction, number of faithful, first pastor.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3076
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia “Sangnoksu Church” (written by Lee Seong-hak). Year and date of establishment, division process, groundbreaking in 1996 and dedication in 1999, patron saint and parish day, status in 2016.
   https://ansan.grandculture.net/ansan/toc/GC02501143