Surisan Sacred Site

Overview

Surisan Shrine is a shrine belonging to the Diocese of Suwon, located in Dambaechon at the foot of Mount Suri in Anyang-dong, Manan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is the place of the tomb of Saint Francis Choe Gyeong-hwan, martyred during the Gihae Persecution (1839), and the ground where Choe Gyeong-hwan, father of Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop, the 2 Korean priest, built a Catholic village. The family history of the saint's wife, Blessed Maria Yi Seong-rye, and their son Father Choe Yang-eop is honored together, and on January 25, 2000, the shrine was separated from the jurisdiction of Jungang Parish in Anyang to begin as a shrine for pilgrimage ministry.

History

Mount Suri is a Catholic village where Catholic believers lived together during the persecution era. Materials from the Episcopal Commission for Beatification and Canonization of the Korean Bishops' Conference state that Francis Choe Gyeong-hwan, father of Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop, moved here with his family in 1838, while Anyang City materials state that the name Dambaechon derives from Choe Gyeong-hwan and Catholics settling here to escape persecution in 1837. The chronology of Surisan Shrine records 1832 as the year Choe Gyeong-hwan left Darakgol in Hongju and settled in Dwitteumi behind Mount Suri in Gwacheon (now Dambaechon, Manan-gu, Anyang-si), after passing through Nakdong in Seoul (now Hoehyeon-dong) and various provinces. Thus the settlement date differs by source. At that time believers in the village grew tobacco for a living, so it was also called Dambaechon, and it is said that about 60 believers lived together, including Choe Gyeong-hwan.

According to the shrine's introduction, this village was the village of Dwitteumi in Mount Suri in Gwacheon (Anyang formerly belonged to the Gwacheon district), a small village hidden in a green pine forest. It was a small village of about 20 households living on a sunny hillside, building houses here and there, cultivating tobacco fields and firing earthenware, and it is now in Anyang 9-dong, Manan-gu, within the jurisdiction of Jungang Church. The Surisan entry in the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture introduces Dambaetgol in Anyang-dong, a valley north of the mountain, as a small mountain village of about 30 households, noting that Catholic believers hid there during the Gihae Persecution in the late Joseon period and lived growing tobacco.

According to the Bishops' Conference materials, Francis Choe Gyeong-hwan was born the youngest of 6 siblings in Daratgol in Hongju, Chungcheong-do (now Darakgol, Cheongyang). His family had believed in Catholicism since the founding of the Church in Korea, and after persuading his family he moved to Seoul, then left Seoul because of persecution by non-believers and settled on Mount Suri in Gwacheon via Geumseong in Gangwon-do and Bucheon in Gyeonggi-do, building a Catholic village. In 1836 he sent his son Choe Yang-eop to Father Maubant to study theology in Macao, and in early 1839 he was appointed president. His birth year is recorded differently: the Bishops' Conference materials and the Surisan Shrine chronology give 1804, while Anyang City materials and the Old House Church introduction give 1805.

When the Gihae Persecution broke out, Choe Gyeong-hwan collected and buried the remains of martyrs and comforted and cared for believers, until he was arrested on July 31, 1839 by runners sent from Seoul. His wife Maria Yi Seong-rye and their young children, Servant of God Emerentia Yi, and about 40 fellow villagers were arrested together and taken to the police headquarters in Hanyang. Dragged from Mount Suri to the police headquarters in Seoul, Choe Gyeong-hwan was punished and tortured every other day for two months, receiving 340 strokes of the heavy stick and 110 strokes of the cudgel, and after receiving 25 strokes of the cudgel for the last time on September 11, he died in prison the next day, September 12, martyred at the age of 35. Emerentia Yi was also martyred that year, and Maria Yi Seong-rye was martyred on January 31 of the following year. Anyang City materials state that Yi Seong-rye was executed with another believer, and the Surisan Shrine chronology states that she was beheaded at Danggogae in Hanyang.

According to the Bishops' Conference materials, Choe Gyeong-hwan's body was recovered by his second son Jacob Choe Ui-jeong and others, temporarily buried near Nogosan, then transferred to Mount Suri, and later moved on May 26, 1930 via Myeongdong Church to the Jeoldusan Church in 1967 for burial. The Surisan Shrine chronology states that after difficulties moving the body several times, it was buried on Mount Suri by the saint's second elder brother Yeong-gyeom and his family, and that in 1928, following the testimony of the youngest daughter-in-law Agatha Song, the remains were exhumed at Dwitteumi and enshrined in the crypt under Myeongdong Cathedral, then moved again to the Jeoldusan Martyrs Memorial before the canonization in 1984. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture states that the body of Choe Yang-eop's mother was never found and only his father Choe Gyeong-hwan's body was recovered and buried in the Mount Suri valley where they had lived, and that the grave site still remains as a pilgrimage place for Catholic believers.

Choe Gyeong-hwan was beatified on July 5, 1925 by Pope Pius 10 as one of the 79 Korean martyr blesseds, and canonized on May 6, 1984 by Pope John Paul 2 as one of the 103 saints at the faith rally marking the 200 anniversary of the Catholic Church in Korea, held at Yeouido Plaza in Seoul. Anyang City materials state that the creation of the shrine began with the erection of a martyrdom monument on Mount Suri after the beatification.

The main entries of the Surisan Shrine chronology are as follows. On May 23, 1963, Father Luca Jeong Won-jin, the 2 pastor of Jungang Parish, erected a martyrdom monument at the blessed's tomb. On May 27, 1979, a joint outdoor Mass for the Solemnity of the Ascension by the Jungang, Myeonghak and Bisan-dong parishes was held at the blessed's tomb. On April 15, 1984, on the occasion of the canonization, a martyrdom monument was erected at the saint's tomb area. In March 1987, under Father Gervasio Kim Hwa-tae, the 11 pastor of Jungang Parish, the 14 Stations of the Cross and an altar were installed at the shrine, and the saint's descendants built a grotto statue of Mary. On October 4, 1988, the site for the Surisan Catholic mission chapel hall was purchased. In August 1991, under Father Paul Go Geon-seon, the 12 pastor, work on an outdoor Mass site for pilgrims was completed, and on April 18, 1993, a guide cross was installed at the shrine entrance. On November 2, 1998, as the Surisan Catholic mission chapel building was demolished for the Seoul Outer Ring Expressway construction, a building permit was obtained for the shrine office (now the Pilgrim Church). Construction of the new shrine church began on October 4, 1999, and 17 parishes in Anyang Districts 1 and 2 raised the construction funds.

On January 25, 2000, Surisan Shrine was separated from the jurisdiction of Jungang Parish as a shrine for pilgrimage ministry, and the first full-time Father Joachim Lee Sang-seon took office. On April 1 of the same year, Masses for pilgrims began with an outdoor Mass, and on August 9, approval for completion of the new shrine church was granted. On January 27, 2001, a sponsor community Mass began, and on September 1, a statue of Mary was erected and blessed in the church garden and the website was opened, and on September 12, the unveiling of the saint's statue and a memorial Mass marking the 162 anniversary of the martyrdom were celebrated. In 2002, Eucharistic Hour devotion (February 7) and prayers for the unknown martyrs and souls in purgatory with Requiem Masses (May 1, every Wednesday) began, and on September 13, a memorial rally marking the 163 anniversary of the martyrdom was held jointly by Anyang District 1. On June 24, 2003, Deacon Peter Choe Yong-seop of the Salesians, the 6-generation descendant of Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan, was ordained a priest.

The chronology records the successive full-time priests as the 2 Father Simon Jeong Gwang-hae (took office on February 6, 2004), the 3 Father John the Apostle Cha Jae-hun (September 24, 2004), the 4 Father Benedict Park Jeong-bae (September 1, 2009), and the 5 Father Joseph Lee Heon-su (June 17, 2014). In 2005, marking the 200 anniversary of Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan's birth, a mountainside music festival and unveiling of the Sacred Heart statue were held on May 8 and a celebration on October 15. On June 4, 2006, the Old House Church was completed and the first Mass was celebrated. On July 15, 2007, there was the first Mass after ordination by Father Paul Choe Gwang-seop, the 5-generation descendant of the saint, and on August 30, the saint's relic (arm bone) kept by Father Park Dae-hyeon of Cheonho Shrine was enshrined in the birth house. An enshrinement rite was held on May 31, 2008, and at the martyrs memorial rally on September 20, 5 hand-bone fragments donated by descendants were enshrined in the saint's main tomb and a martyrs memorial monument honoring Choe Gyeong-hwan, Yi Seong-rye, Emerentia Yi, President Peter Ryu, Paul Yu, Andrew Yu and Joseph Yu was unveiled. In the same year, on December 19, the 1 phase of tomb-area maintenance was completed.

On November 3, 2009, an academic symposium on Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan and Surisan Shrine was held, and a church-history booklet was published in December. On August 16, 2014, a Mass commemorating the beatification of Maria Yi Seong-rye was held (the chronology lists this entry as beatification). On December 8, 2015, it became a designated pilgrimage shrine for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and on December 14, regular confessions began at the Pilgrim Church. On November 10, 2017, it became a designated shrine for plenary indulgences in the special jubilee for lay people. On February 27, 2019, forest land in Anyang-dong and vicinity was transferred to the Suwon Diocesan Maintenance Foundation, and in the same year, on September 21, a martyrs memorial rally marking the 180 anniversary of the saint's martyrdom and the 5 anniversary of the blessed's beatification was held, and on November 30, a bust of Blessed Maria Yi Seong-rye was enshrined. On February 18, 2020, the transfer of privately owned shrine real estate to the foundation was completed, and from March 1 to July 6, remodeling of the Pilgrim Church and rectory was carried out, and on October 13, production of the 14 Stations of the Cross statues was completed.

Architecture and Spaces

According to the Surisan Shrine pilgrimage guide, the Pilgrim Church is a building whose cross on a roof with traditional patterns catches the eye; its exterior signifies the old Catholic mission chapel, the crosses encircling the top of the building and the cross-shaped stone ornaments on the roof signify faith, and the red exterior symbolizes the blood of the martyrs. Inside, the ceiling is finished in wood and the floor in heated ondol flooring, and the tabernacle also serves for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The pilgrimage site includes the Stations of the Cross, the outdoor Mass site, the tomb of Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan, the Marian grotto, the Old House Church and Mary's House. The outdoor Mass site is a semicircular space reached before climbing to the saint's tomb area after praying the Stations of the Cross; centered on a stone altar, it is built in elliptical steps using natural stone, and about 500 people can celebrate Mass together. In the saint's tomb area, a monument was erected on the occasion of the canonization on May 6, 1984.

The Marian grotto is a stone grotto built beside the tomb area to commemorate the 3 anniversary of Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan's canonization and the opening of the Marian Year, prepared by the saint's direct descendants. On June 7, 1987, a statue of Mary was enshrined and a blessing ceremony was held on June 14; modeled on the Lourdes grotto, spring water was placed under the statue of Mary and a statue of Saint Bernadette was erected in front of the grotto. The Old House Church is a place where an old house was completed on June 4, 2006 on the house site where Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan settled and lived, with a small church prepared inside to commemorate the saint and his family with daily Mass. On November 2, 2008, a thatched roof was placed on the old house and the first Mass was celebrated at the Old House Church. Mary's House is a facility allowing one-day retreats and used as a meal place.

Religious Meaning and Visiting Context

Surisan Shrine is a shrine honoring Saint Francis Choe Gyeong-hwan, Blessed Maria Yi Seong-rye and the family of Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop. A Catholic newspaper article quoted in the Bishops' Conference materials reports that Choe Gyeong-hwan worked hard at worldly work by day and gathered his household and believers in the evening to teach doctrine, and that his wife Yi Seong-rye respected her husband, strove for family harmony, and told her children lessons of faith even while in hiding. The words of Choe Gyeong-hwan quoted at the shrine are: “Brothers and sisters, take courage. God's angels are measuring our steps with a golden ruler.”

Related Places and People

• Saint Francis Choe Gyeong-hwan (1804 or 1805-1839): president of the Surisan Catholic village and one of the 103 saints.
• Blessed Maria Yi Seong-rye (1801-1840): wife of Choe Gyeong-hwan. Born in Hongju into the family of Yi Jon-chang, called the Apostle of Naepo, she was martyred on January 31, 1840.
• Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop (1821-1861): the second Korean priest and eldest son of Choe Gyeong-hwan and Yi Seong-rye.
• Servant of God Emerentia Yi: a Surisan believer arrested with Choe Gyeong-hwan's family in 1839 and martyred the same year.
• Jungang Church in Anyang: the parish that had jurisdiction over the Surisan Catholic mission chapel and shrine, in charge of shrine ministry until the shrine was separated in 2000.
• Cheonho Shrine: the chronology records that the relic of Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan (arm bone) kept by Father Park Dae-hyeon was enshrined in the Surisan birth house on August 30, 2007.

References and Sources

1. Surisan Shrine of the Diocese of Suwon, shrine chronology, shrine outline, Dambaechon, Saint Choe Gyeong-hwan, Blessed Maria Yi Seong-rye, pilgrimage guide (Pilgrim Church, Stations of the Cross, outdoor Mass site, saint's tomb, Marian grotto, Old House Church, Mary's House). Chronology from the settlement in 1832 to 2020, years of full-time priests' appointments, shrine facilities construction process.
   http://surisan.kr/a3
2. Episcopal Commission for Beatification and Canonization of the Korean Bishops' Conference, related shrine Surisan Shrine. The Surisan Catholic village and the life of Francis Choe Gyeong-hwan, arrest and martyrdom process, transfer of remains.
   https://www.cbck.or.kr/koreanmartyrs/Shrines/44
3. Anyang City Hall, undesignated heritage Surisan Shrine. Settlement of Dambaechon and origin of its name, arrest and martyrdom of Choe Gyeong-hwan and Yi Seong-rye, beatification in 1925 and canonization in 1984.
   https://www.anyang.go.kr/main/contents.do?key=728
4. Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, Surisan. Dambaetgol in Anyang-dong and the Gihae Persecution, burial of Choe Gyeong-hwan's body.
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0031349