Seodun-dong Church

Overview

Seodun-dong Church is a church in Seodun-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Suwon Diocese. Separated and established from Godung-dong Parish on May 10, 1968, it began as a martyr-blessed memorial church built by the Suwon Diocese to commemorate the beatification of 24 Byeongin Persecution martyr blesseds. Its patron saints are the Korean Martyrs.

History

[Catholic mission chapel era] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a community of faithful began to form in the area now under Seodun-dong Parish around 1910. As a result, the “Jaro-mok Catholic mission chapel” (Homaesil-ri, Maesong-myeon, Hwaseong-gun) was established under Gatdeungi (present-day Wangnim) Parish, and at one time Father C. Le Gac (Gwak Won-ryang) of Hau-hyeon Parish also cared for this mission chapel. His successor, Father Kim Won-yeong (Augustine), recorded the number of Jaro-mok mission chapel faithful in 1914 as 58. This mission chapel was incorporated into Suwon (present-day Buksu-dong) Parish in October 1923, changed its name to “Norim Catholic mission chapel” in the 1930s, and in March 1935 built a new hall with land and construction funds donated by chairman Han Dong-su (Stephen). The Norim mission chapel later separated the Geumgok-ri mission chapel, and these chapels came under Godung-dong Parish in 1959, while another mission chapel was also established in nearby Duam in 1979. The Catholic Times (2016) describes the beginning of the community as a mission chapel belonging to Wangnim Parish in the Homaesil area around 1921, says it was called Norim mission chapel after the local name given for its many large trees, and reports that as newly baptized persons increased it branched off other mission chapels in places such as Geumgok and Duam.

[Decision to build the martyr-blessed memorial church] According to the Catholic Times, the mother parish, Godung-dong Parish, was pursuing land purchase and construction of a rectory and hall in 1965 in order to establish a new parish in Gosaek-dong, not Seodun-dong, but in June of the same year the plan to divide Gosaek-dong was suspended. This was because it was decided through a meeting of all the priests of the diocese to build a martyr-blessed memorial church in Seodun-dong. Ahead of 1966, the 100th anniversary of the Byeongin Persecution, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea agreed in 1965 that each diocese would build a church commemorating the Byeongin Persecution martyr blesseds, and this was the principal decision among the nationwide projects to honor the Korean martyrs, who were still blesseds at the time. The Suwon Diocese discussed this at a priests’ meeting on June 15, 1965, decided to build a blessed memorial church in Seodun-dong, where the number of faithful was growing, and conducted a diocese-wide fundraising campaign for construction costs. Diocesan Bishop Yun Gong-hui (Victorinus) encouraged each member of the diocese, following the spirit of martyrdom, to offer saved money as a church building fund through a pastoral letter, and diocesan priests also joined the fundraising by offering Mass offerings for 2 Masses every month. Because fundraising by the faithful alone was not enough, the fund was raised with aid from the Holy See and donations from the faithful of Seodun-dong Parish (an article in 2016 records the Holy See grant as 1 ten thousand dollars).

[Establishment of the parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, following the decision of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea to have each diocese build a martyr-blessed memorial church for the 100th anniversary of the Byeongin martyrdom in 1966, the Suwon Diocese decided to establish Seodun-dong Parish in this area, centered on the Norim, Geumgok-ri, and Duam mission chapels, where the number of faithful had steadily grown, and on May 10, 1968 appointed Father Jeong Ju-seong (Joseph) as the first pastor. The parish information of the Suwon Diocese also lists the establishment date as May 10, 1968. In October 1968, when Seodun-dong Parish was established, 24 Byeongin Persecution martyrs were beatified at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

[Completion of the church] According to the encyclopedia, Father Jeong Ju-seong secured 1,550 pyeong of the present church site on June 15, one month after taking office, and completed a church of 97 pyeong on September 16 of the following year, the martyrdom day of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon. The Catholic Times reports that this church was completed on September 16, 1969, the day marking 123 years since Father Kim Dae-geon was martyred at Saenamteo. Then the 2 pastor, Father Kim Chang-rin, invited the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul on June 3, 1974, divided off Bugok Parish on January 1, 1977, and opened “Blessed Kindergarten” on March 2 (encyclopedia). The Catholic Times writes that the parish was interested in youth ministry from its founding, operated a daycare in the form of a nursery for local residents, and then opened Blessed Kindergarten in March 1977.

[From the 1980s to the 1990s] According to the encyclopedia, the parish expanded its convent in 1982, and when Daehak-dong Parish was newly established on February 6, 1984, it transferred the registers of 112 households and 443 persons. Construction of a new church and education hall, begun on September 6, 1988 under the 7 pastor, Father Choi Jae-pil, was completed in July 1991 after 3 years (the Catholic Times says the parish built a new church as the number of faithful increased in 1990, and a photo caption in an article in 2024 says the present Seodun-dong Church was built in 1990). The parish purchased 1,336 pyeong in Guun-dong on May 3, 1993 as a new parish site, then 526 pyeong as the Chilbo Parish site on April 29 of the following year and 534 pyeong as the Seoho Parish site on October 21, and simultaneously divided off Seoho Parish and Chilbo Parish as of February 9, 1996 (encyclopedia). The Catholic Times writes that as Suwon City expanded rapidly in the 1990s, it purchased church sites in Guun-dong, Seoho, Chilbo, and elsewhere in preparation for divisions, and, beginning with Chilbo Parish in 1995, divided off Seoho, Sangchon, and Dangsu-dong Parishes by the early 2000s. It also reports that through an active evangelization movement, 355 persons, more than 10% of the parish faithful, entered the Church in 1998.

[Cradle of diocesan youth ministry] According to the Catholic Times, the diocesan youth ministry office was installed at Seodun-dong Parish in January 1992 and expanded into the youth ministry office in May of the same year. This was the first diocesan body dedicated to youth, created in this parish. The youth ministry office moved and expanded to Gwonseon-dong in 1994, and this became the origin of today’s Catholic Youth Culture Center.

[Successive pastors and church statistics] The successive priests listed by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first, Joseph Jeong Ju-seong (1968.5–1973.5), interim Peter Han Ui-su (1973.5–10), the 2 pastor Philip Kim Chang-rin (1973.10–1978.11), the 3 pastor Mark Son Tae-seop (1978.11–1981.4), the 4 pastor Peter Kim Chun-ho (1981.4–1984.2), the 5 pastor John Gang Won-yu (1984.2–1986.4), the 6 pastor Mark Han Sang-ho (1986.4–1987.2), the 7 pastor Andrew Choi Jae-pil (1987.2–1995.2), the 8 pastor Paul Bang Hyo-ik (1995.2–1998.8), and the 9 pastor Matthias Choi Jung-hyeok (1998.8–). Church statistics are 1,788 persons in 1968, 1,583 persons in 1973, 1,851 persons in 1979, 1,523 persons in 1984, 2,344 persons in 1989, 3,871 persons in 1992, and 3,475 persons in 1996. The Catholic Times (2016) writes that the parish is accompanied by about 3,200 faithful (pastor Father Jin Hyo-jun), and the Suwon Diocese parish information currently lists the number of faithful as 1,646. The encyclopedia lists the jurisdiction at the time as all of Seodun-dong and Geumgok-dong and Guun-dong, Homaesil-dong, and Tap-dong, and parts of Dangsu-ri and Ipbuk-ri, Banwol-myeon, Hwaseong-gun. The diocesan parish information lists the patronal feast day as September 20. At the time of compilation, the encyclopedia cites street campaigns to raise awareness of abortion and environmental pollution as activities of this parish.

Architecture and Space

According to the Catholic Times “Old Seodun-dong Church” (2024), the martyr-blessed memorial church was designed by Professor Yun Jang-seop of Seoul National University. Professor Yun is introduced as a figure who participated in well-known buildings in Korea, including the National Assembly Building. The church is a 8-sided polygon close to an oval, with tiled roofing evoking a traditional Korean house pavilion atop red brick outer walls, and zigzag windows between the eaves and the outer walls. About 1m from the outer walls stand 14 pillars, which support the bracket sets bearing the roof load and were made in an entasis style using an exposed-concrete technique. The interior frame was exposed and used itself as architectural ornament, and windows between the outer walls and the roof were designed to fill the whole church with natural light.

The bell tower built on the side of the 8-sided polygon serves as both entrance and belfry, and at 18m high it is twice the 9m height of the main building. The bell tower has a square pavilion-style tiled roof and a cross, with the words “Catholic Church” written largely on it. The Catholic Times (2018) writes that Professor Yun, inspired by the shape of the earthenware kilns used by the ancestors in faith, raised a round oval 8-sided roof centered on 14 pillars. At the time of construction there were no separate windows in the brick outer walls, and this design is said to have recalled the prisons where the martyrs were held and the catacombs, the refuges where people hid to escape persecution. An article in 2024 reports that this modern style, which used the image of the traditional Korean house while decorating with an exposed-frame technique, drew the attention of architectural circles at the time and gained a reputation as an outstanding building even among the blessed memorial churches nationwide. The Catholic Times describes this church as an architectural pursuit of the spirit of inculturation emphasized by the 2 Vatican Council (ended in 1965).

The size of the church is 302.34 square meters. As parishioners increased and the old church alone no longer provided enough liturgical space, a new church was built, but the old church was preserved rather than demolished, and its history and meaning were recorded at the entrance of the old church. As of an article in 2024, the old church is not used as a church but as the parish hall, and in the yard stands a statue of Saint Paul Jeong Ha-sang.

Related Places and People

• Pilgrimage to the blessed memorial church: the Catholic Times writes that this church was not a space only for pilgrimage like a shrine in the diocese, but people seeking to honor the martyr blesseds often made pilgrimages here. In 1973, faithful of the Hiroshima Diocese in Japan who were making a pilgrimage to Korean holy places made a pilgrimage to this church and held Eucharistic adoration.
• Godung-dong Parish: the mother parish of Seodun-dong Parish. The encyclopedia writes that Seodun-dong Parish was separated and established from Godung-dong Parish on May 10, 1968.
• Divided parishes: Bugok (1977.1), Daehak-dong (1984.2), and Seoho and Chilbo (1996.2) are listed by the encyclopedia, and Chilbo, Seoho, Sangchon, and Dangsu-dong are listed by the Catholic Times, as parishes divided from Seodun-dong Parish.
• Norim, Geumgok-ri, and Duam mission chapels: the mission chapels that formed the basis for the establishment of Seodun-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Bishop Victorinus Yun Gong-hui: the first diocesan bishop of the Suwon Diocese, who encouraged offerings for the building fund through a pastoral letter at the time the martyr-blessed memorial church was built (Catholic Times). The Catholic Times (2018) reports that in his pastoral guidelines at the time of his inauguration, Bishop Yun described the diocese as a place “where the martyrs traveled and suffered the bitter pain of persecution” and as “a historic place where the holy remains of the martyr-blessed Father Andrew Kim were buried.”

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Seodun-dong Parish.” Mission chapel era, establishment in 1968 and construction of the martyr-blessed memorial church, divided parishes, successive priests, church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3152
2. Catholic Times, “[Following the History of Diocesan Parishes] Seodun-dong Parish of the Suwon Vicariate” (2016.4.27). Origins of the mission chapel, suspension of the Gosaek-dong division and decision on the memorial church, outline of construction, youth ministry office, process of divisions, entrants in 1998.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201604270156134
3. Catholic Times, “[Suwon Diocese Church Pilgrimage (4)] Old Seodun-dong Church” (2024.9.10). Background of the martyr-blessed memorial church construction, architectural style and size, preservation and present use, pilgrimage in 1973.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/20240909500175
4. Catholic Times, “[History of the Suwon Diocese Written on the Road] Seodun-dong Church (Part One)” (2018.1.9). Background of the memorial church construction, design by Professor Yun Jang-seop, completion in 1969.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201801090243021
5. Suwon Diocese, Parish “Seodun-dong.” Establishment date May 10, 1968, patron saints Korean Martyrs, patronal feast day September 20.
   https://www.casuwon.or.kr/parish/parish/2?church=%EC%84%9C%EB%91%94%EB%8F%99&serial=13009