Suri-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Suridong Church is a church belonging to the Gunpo-Uiwang District of the 2 Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese, located on Surisan-ro in Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. It was separated and established from Sanbon Church in Gunpo City on January 28, 2003, its patron is St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and the present church building was dedicated with Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi on June 17, 2007.

History

〔Division of the parish and purchase of the site〕 The parish history on the Suridong Church website states that, as Sanbon Church, the mother parish, saw a sharp increase in the number of faithful because of population growth in the area and its jurisdiction became vast, Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi, the 3 Bishop of the Suwon Diocese, ordered the division of the parish. While Father Bartholomew Choi Jae-yong, the 2 pastor of Sanbon Church, searched for a parish site over several years, a religious site of 3,636.4㎡ (1,100 pyeong) at Surisan-ro 119 (Suridong 1150-6) on September 2001, the present parish site, came on the market, and it was purchased on November of the same year for 31 hundred million 3,500 ten thousand won (then 285 ten thousand won per pyeong).

〔Establishment〕 With the appointment of the first pastor, Father Matthias Hwang Seon-gi, on January 28, 2003, the history of Suridong Parish began. At that time the statistics were 1,741 households, 10 districts, 29 zones, 96 bans, and 4,637 faithful in total. At the time of establishment there were no facilities, so weekday Masses were offered in the small chapel and Sunday Masses in the large church building at separate times at Sanbon Church, the mother parish. The establishment date in the directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea is also 2003.1.28.

〔Temporary church〕 The first pastoral council (chairperson Michael Go Chang-hyeon) was launched on April 15, 2003, and the first Mass was celebrated on May 11 on the empty lot of the new church site where nothing had yet been built. The first Sunday Mass was offered in a temporary prefabricated church building on May 25, and beginning then the parish completely separated from Sanbon Church, the mother parish, and settled on the present site.

〔Construction of the new church building〕 Design proposals were publicly invited on November 16, 2003, and an on-site briefing attended by 9 companies was held on November 20. It was decided to give the prize-winning firm (Dongwon Architecture) an opportunity to redesign, and reflecting the view that a Gothic rather than a modern style would suit the building, it was decided to submit a new work. The new design was submitted to the diocesan construction committee for review on March 23, 2004 and passed with revisions in the 1st review, and the design contract was concluded on May 2. On May 30, 2004, with the intention of dedicating them when the church building was completed, a Bible-copying campaign was proclaimed in which the faithful hand-copied the Old and New Testaments by ban and zone, and some 60 completed volumes were dedicated upon completion of the church building.

〔Construction and dedication〕 After a construction briefing attended by 6 companies was held on December 14, 2004, Han Geon General Construction Co., Ltd. was selected as the contractor on January 26, 2005. A report of commencement was submitted to Gunpo City on February 22, 2005, commencement approval was received on the 25th and civil work began, and the framework was completed on January 25, 2006, 11 months after breaking ground. The Christmas Eve Mass was offered in the new church building on December 2006, building-use approval was received from Gunpo City on March 12, 2007, and the church dedication ceremony was held with Bishop Paul Choi Deok-gi on June 17, 2007.

〔Pastor changes and the 10th anniversary of establishment〕 On August 28, 2007 the first pastor, Father Hwang Seon-gi, was transferred to Sudun-dong Church, and Father Paul Kim Bong-hak took office as the 2th pastor. On November 23, 2008 the 3th pastoral council (chairperson Simon Lee Yong-pyo) was formed, followed from November 27, 2011 by the 4st-5nd pastoral councils (chairperson Anthony Park Jong-sang). On February 28, 2012 a “Mass proclaiming preparations for the 10rd anniversary of the parish establishment” was offered, on August 28, 2012 Father Kim Bong-hak was transferred as vicar forane of the Yongin Vicariate and Father Leander Lee Yeong-u, a professor at Suwon Catholic University, took office as the 3th pastor. On January 27, 2013 a “Mass and ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the parish establishment” was held.

〔After 2015〕 On June 23, 2015 Father Benedict Choi Gyeong-nam took office as the 4th pastor, designated 2017 as the “Year of Education,” and held a Bible journey with Father Benedict Hwang Chang-yeon every Wednesday for 12 weeks at the parish together with Peace Broadcasting. On January 1, 2018 the 6th pastoral council (chairperson Edmund Lee Yong-in) began, and on June 26, 2018, as Father Choi Gyeong-nam was transferred as director of the office of the 2th Vicariate, Father Francis Xavier Kim Sang-sun, who had served as director of the Suwon Diocese office, took office as the 5th pastor. On January 23, 2022 the 7th pastoral council (chairperson Joseph Kim Gi-tae) began, and on June 20, 2023, as Father Kim Sang-sun was transferred as pastor of Maetan-dong Parish in the Yeongtong District of the 1st Vicariate, Father Andrew Daegeon Lee Dae-hui took office as the 6nd pastor. Marking the 25th anniversary of the parish establishment in 2028, this priest established a phased renovation plan and launched the 8th pastoral council (chairperson Peter Cha Hyeong-gi) on January 21, 2024. The parish history states that, as the Anyang District of the 2th Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese was reorganized from 2 districts into 3 districts on June 2023, the Gunpo-Uiwang District was newly created and Suridong Parish was designated as the district-head parish.

〔Church statistics〕 The parish history lists its affiliation as the Anyang 1 District of the 2th Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese, and its jurisdiction as the whole Suridong area of Gunpo-si and parts of Gungnae-dong and Gwangjeong-dong (Gaya Apartments in Suridong Complex 5, Gyeryong, Seorak and Suri Apartments in Complex 8, Ureuk Apartments in Gungnae-dong Complex 7, Geumgang and Myohyang Apartments in Complex 9, Eulji and Sejong Apartments in Gwangjeong-dong Complex 6). As of the end of 2023, the statistics were 1,877 households, 10 districts, 34 zones, 110 bans, and 10 brothers’ bans, with 4,234 faithful in total, 12.19% of the 34,726 people within the jurisdiction. The directory lists 4,504 faithful and 0 Catholic mission chapels.

Architecture and Space

According to the parish-symbol guide on the parish website, the sanctuary stained glass and ceramic mural were made by Son Seung-hui (Magdalena Son So-byeok) on December 20, 2006. The concept of the sanctuary stained glass is that heaven (God) and earth (we) become one through Jesus on the cross, that the faithful gathered like small seeds become the branches and fruit of the Lord by receiving the Body and Blood, and that this fruit, risen, proclaims the Gospel outward beyond the church. It explains that the lower windows depict seeds gradually gathering toward the Lord on the altar, while the upper windows depict them sublimated through resurrection and proclaiming the Gospel outward beyond the church.

The glasswork on the altar is said to combine a ceramic mural symbolizing land and soil (we in this world) with the exterior scenery of sky and forest drawn into the church interior, so that the inside and outside of the church harmonize together. The Eucharist at the center and two hands receiving it, abundant large fruits, linear limbs, and the appearance of the forest outside were used in this composition.

The parish logo is explained as follows: the thick outer circle represents unity and harmony in the Lord, the letters between the circles represent the name of Suridong Church and the website address, and the inside of the central circle represents the Chi-Rho (χρ) cross installed on the church roof and the shape of the rooftop tower.

Related Places and People

• Sanbon Church: It is the mother parish of Suridong Church. Father Bartholomew Choi Jae-yong, the 2th pastor, searched for the site, and immediately after establishment Suridong faithful attended Mass at this church (parish history).
• Patron saint: The website introduces St. John the Apostle and Evangelist (feast day December 27) as the patron saint. It notes that Suridong was named because it lies at the foot of Surisan Mountain, that the most likely origin of the name Surisan is that Suambong (Chwiam), the guardian mountain of Ansan-gun in the Joseon period, was called “Eagle Peak,” and explains that he was enshrined as patron in view of the connection with the eagle, the symbol of the saint.
• Successive pastors: 1th Hwang Seon-gi (Matthias) 2003.1.28–2007.8.27, 2rd Kim Bong-hak (Paul) 2007.8.28–2012.8.27, 3th Lee Yeong-u (Leander) 2012.8.28–2015.6.22, 4th Choi Gyeong-nam (Benedict) 2015.6.23–2018.6.25, 5th Kim Sang-sun (Francis Xavier) 2018.6.26–2023.6.20, 6th Lee Dae-hui (Andrew Daegeon) 2023.6.20–present (parish history).
• Successive assistant priests: 3th Lee Nam-su (Joseph) 2005.9.23–2006.9.25, 4th Yun Min-ryeol (Stephen) 2006.9.26–2007.8.27, 5rd Son Yong-chang (Peter) 2007.8.28–2008.9.1, 6th Lee Geon-hui (Andrew) 2008.9.2–2009.8.31, 7th Lee Geon-uk (Clement) 2009.9.1–2010.8.30, 9nd Sim Jae-gwan (Samuel) 2011.8.30–2012.12.17, 10th Lee Yo-han (John the Apostle) 2012.12.18–2013.12.16, 11th Bae Su-hun (John the Apostle) 2013.12.17–2015.12.14, 12st Kim Si-mon (John the Apostle) 2015.12.15–2017.12.18, 13th Seon Jin-u (John the Baptist) 2017.12.19–2019.12.16, 14th Ham Yeong-su (Gabriel) 2019.12.17–2020.12.14, 15th Kim Yeong-cheol (John the Apostle) 2020.12.15–2022.12.20, 16rd Yun Yeong-hyeon (Raphael) 2022.12.21–2023.12.19, 17th Jeong In-ho (John Bosco) 2023.12.19–2024.12.31, 18th Yeo Seung-mo (Francis Xavier) 2025.6.17–present (list in the parish history).

References and Sources

1. Suridong Church website, Suwon Diocese, parish history. Background of the parish division, site purchase, establishment in 2003, temporary church, design, construction and dedication of the church building, pastor transfers, church statistics, jurisdiction, successive pastors and assistant priests.
   http://www.srcc.or.kr/index.php?tpf=sub/sub01_02_01&category=1
2. Suridong Church website, Suwon Diocese, patron saint. St. John the Apostle and Evangelist and the reason for the choice connected with the origin of the name Surisan.
   http://www.srcc.or.kr/index.php?tpf=sub/sub01_03_01
3. Suridong Church website, Suwon Diocese, stained glass. Concept, artist and date of production of the sanctuary stained glass and ceramic mural.
   http://www.srcc.or.kr/index.php?tpf=sub/sub01_03_02
4. Suridong Church website, Suwon Diocese, parish logo. Meaning contained in the logo.
   http://www.srcc.or.kr/index.php?tpf=sub/sub01_03_03
5. Directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Suridong. Establishment date 2003.1.28., affiliation Suwon Diocese 2 Vicariate Gunpo-Uiwang District, patron saint, number of faithful, number of Catholic mission chapels.
   http://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201000546&gubun=4