Shindun Catholic Church

History & origins

신둔 Parish was established on August 28, 2007, after separating from Icheon Parish. It began with 374 households and 925 Catholics, and its first pastor, Father Im Ik-su, worked with the faithful to establish the foundations of the new community. Although it had become an independent parish, several years of preparation were needed before it could have a permanent church of its own.

The parishioners used local resources and skills to raise funds for construction. In 2008 they sold rice and pottery, in 2009 they operated the “Gate of Heaven Restaurant,” and later they took part in joint work such as assembling household goods. These activities were more than fundraising projects; they became a way for members of the parish to work together and prepare collectively for the future of their community.

After years of preparation, a groundbreaking Mass for the new church was celebrated on September 22, 2012, and the parish moved into the building with a Mass on January 25, 2014. Handprints of parishioners were placed on a wall by the church stairs as a symbol of the conviction that they were building the church with their own hands. Participation continued after construction as the community worked to repay building debt and strengthen parish life.

In 2017 the parish marked its tenth anniversary with a Mass of thanksgiving and a community sports day, and the diocesan chronology records the formal dedication of the church in 2022. The sequence from foundation through fundraising, groundbreaking, occupation, and dedication shows how 신둔 Parish built its permanent home through local culture and the shared labor of its members. The process of completing the church continued after the 2014 move-in. The record of the 2022 dedication shows that the point at which the community began using the new church and the later liturgical dedication by the diocese were distinct stages in its development.