Songtan Catholic Church

Overview

Songtan Church is a church in Sinjang-dong, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Suwon Diocese. It was separated and established from Seojeong-dong Parish on August 22, 1965. Its patron is Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). In 1982, it separated Songseo Parish.

History

[Before establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the Songtan area, long known as ‘Sutgogae’ as a place for baking charcoal, was used as a U.S. Air Force base during the Korean War, and living conditions changed greatly as refugees who had fled from the north settled there. Father Kim Deok-je (Cyrillo), pastor of Seojeong-dong Parish, which had jurisdiction over this area, planned a parish division for effective pastoral care and had purchased 845 pyeong at the present church site on August 14, 1964. The Pyeongtaek City History records that Father Yu Su-cheol, who took office as the 3th priest of Seojeong-dong Church in 1952, secured a site in Sinjang-ri and carried out the work of separating Songtan Church. In the Seojeong-dong Parish entry, the Encyclopedia dates Father Yu’s purchase of 845 pyeong around lot 338-3 in Sinjang-ri, Songtan-myeon to August 14, 1954, differing in year from August 14, 1964 in the Songtan Parish entry.

[Parish establishment and first church] According to the Encyclopedia, 1 years later, on August 22, 1965, Songtan Parish was established and Father Kang Won-yu (John), who had ministered at Seojeong-dong Parish, took office as the first pastor. The Pyeongtaek City History also records that Songtan Church was founded in 1965 and Father Kang Won-yu took office as the first priest. On November 4 of that year, Father Kang completed a temporary wooden church of 48 pyeong and prepared a convent (28 pyeong) on December 10. In March 1966 he opened ‘Saetbyeol Kindergarten,’ and to build a new church, on October 30, 1966 he bought an additional 165 pyeong within the same lot, and in April of the following year another 46 pyeong. Construction of the new church began in October 1967 and a church of 110 pyeong was completed on July 15, 1972, while the wooden church was converted into a kindergarten. On July 30, 1973, he bought 9,300 pyeong of woodland in Sinwang-ri, Yanggam-myeon, Hwaseong-gun to create a church cemetery.

[Building a new church and separating Songseo Parish] The Encyclopedia records that, as part of the church was to be incorporated into state-owned land under the urban planning of Songtan-eup, it was decided to demolish the wooden church, which had been used as a kindergarten, and build a new church on its site; construction began on July 15, 1974 and a church of 299 pyeong was completed on December 23, 1979. Before this, planning a parish division, 540 pyeong at lot 590-2 in Seojeong-dong had been purchased on July 13, 1978, and 4 years later, on June 1, 1982, Songseo Parish was separated and 1,280 parish registers were transferred. Later, through a readjustment of jurisdiction with Songseo Parish, 1,160 registers were transferred again as of May 1, 1985. The Pyeongtaek City History records that after the 2th Songtan church was separated and newly established in March 1982, it was renamed Songseo Church in June and the church was completed in September 1985. In the Seojeong-dong Parish entry, the Encyclopedia records that in June 1982 Seojeong-dong Parish transferred registers to Songtan 2th Parish, now Songseo Parish.

[Since the late 1980s] According to the Encyclopedia, Saetbyeol Kindergarten was closed in February 1988, and in August 1992 the basement space of the church (299 pyeong), which had been used as a kindergarten, was remodeled into an education hall. As meeting rooms were insufficient, a church expansion was planned and in November 1992 an additional 108 pyeong east of the church was purchased; expansion work began on August 15, 1996 and was completed on February 23 of the following year. Gathering opinions from residents near the church, ‘Daegon Kindergarten’ was opened in March 1997, and on October 29, 1998 the infant room was converted into a Eucharistic adoration room, encouraging each group to adore the Eucharist each hour.

[Jurisdiction, statistics, and successive priests] The jurisdiction recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is all of Sinjang 1-dong and Sinjang 2-dong, parts of Songbuk-dong, Jisan-dong and Dokgok-dong in Pyeongtaek-si, the area of Sin-ri, Habuk, Bungnam-ri, Masan-ri, Eunsan-ri and Gyeonsan-ri in Jinwi-myeon, and the area of Hoehwa-ri, Madu-ri, Suworam-ri, Geumam-ri and Sa-ri in Seotan-myeon. The statistics are 1,200 in 1965, 1,951 in 1972, 3,945 in 1979, 2,414 in 1985, 2,251 in 1991, 2,771 in 1994, and 3,380 in 1997. Successive priests are the first Kang Won-yu, John (1965.8–1967.10), the 2th Kim Chang-rin, Philippo (1967.10–1972.10), the 3th Jo Won-gil, Gregorio (1972.10–1974.7), the 4th Yun Seok-won, Joseph (1974.7–1981.6), the 5th Bae Yeong-mu, Laurentio (1981.6–1985.2), the 6th Sim Yeong-taek, Francisco (1985.2–1990.12), the 7th Kim Bong-hak, Paulo (1990.12–1994.2), the 8th Jeong Un-taek, Daegon Andrea (1994.2–1995.2), the 9th An Seong-no, Paulo (1995.2–1998.1), and the 10th Choe Chung-ryeol, Matteo (1998.1–).

Related places and people

• Seojeong-dong Parish: the mother parish of Songtan Parish; Father Kim Deok-je planned the parish division and Father Kang Won-yu moved as the first pastor (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Pyeongtaek City History).
• Songseo Parish: the parish separated from Songtan Parish in 1982, starting as Songtan 2th Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Pyeongtaek City History).
• Saetbyeol Kindergarten and Daegon Kindergarten: the kindergartens opened by Songtan Parish in March 1966 and March 1997 respectively (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sinwang-ri church cemetery: the cemetery created by purchasing 9,300 pyeong of woodland in Sinwang-ri, Yanggam-myeon, Hwaseong-gun on July 30, 1973 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Songtan Parish” (vol. 7). Establishment on August 22, 1965, patron, jurisdiction, statistics, successive priests, before establishment, church construction, separation of Songseo Parish, expansion.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3664
2. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Seojeong-dong Parish” (vol. 7). Separation of Songtan Parish from Seojeong-dong Parish, purchase of the Sinjang-ri site, transfer of registers to Songseo Parish.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3187
3. Pyeongtaek City, Pyeongtaek City History, “Catholicism in Pyeongtaek.” Work of separating Songtan Church and founding in 1965, separation and completion of Songseo Church.
   https://sisa.pyeongtaek.go.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=ca17&wr_id=12