Wadong Church

Overview

Wadong Church is a church in Wadong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Ansan Vicariate of the Suwon Diocese. On August 1, 1981, it was elevated from the Wari Catholic mission chapel to a parish, first called ‘Wari,’ then ‘Suamdong’ and ‘Suam’ Parish, before changing its name to Wadong Church in October 2002. Its patron is the Queen of Unity.

History

[Wari Catholic mission chapel] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, the Wari (Bangjukmal) Catholic mission chapel in Suam-myeon, the origin of Suam Parish, began under the jurisdiction of Hawuhyeon Parish in 1913 with 27 believers. In 1946, when Sosa Parish was established, some Catholic mission chapels in Gunja-myeon and Suam-myeon came under the jurisdiction of that parish, so the Wari Catholic mission chapel also came under Sosa Parish, and in 1970, when Sosa Parish became part of the Incheon Diocese, it was transferred to Anyang Parish, at which time the number of believers was 78. The Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia states that the Wari Catholic mission chapel was established in 1921, during the Japanese occupation period, under Hawuhyeon Parish, and that after belonging to the Incheon Diocese it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Suwon Diocese from 1970.

[Establishment of the parish] According to the Encyclopedia, when the Banwol New Industrial Complex was built in the Geomori area of Gunja-myeon in 1977, the Suwon Diocese took an interest in the evangelization of this area, which was to be developed into a large industrial complex and apartment district, and planned a new parish, and in 1979 it secured lot 267 in Wari as the church site (the Cultural Encyclopedia gives 1977 as the year the site was secured). On May 10, 1981, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church building was held, and on August 1 of the same year the Wari Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish. At the time of its establishment the parish name was ‘Wari,’ but on November 8 of the same year it was changed to ‘Suamdong’ to match the local place name, and soon after to ‘Suam’ Parish. According to the Cultural Encyclopedia, it changed its name to Wadong Church in October 2002 and has continued as such to the present.

[Period of the first to 2 pastors] According to the Encyclopedia, the first pastor, Father Paul Song Yeong-gyu, focused on labor ministry in keeping with the industrial-complex character of the area, opening a counseling telephone line for believers and non-believers in the industrial complex and working for local evangelization, while also working on building the church. However, after the basement work was finished in May 1982, construction was halted for lack of funds. The 2 pastorate was served concurrently by Father O’Brien of the Columban Missionary Society, who was then pastor of Wongok Parish.

[Dedication of the church and separation of daughter parishes] According to the Encyclopedia, Father Joseph Cho Gyu-sik, who took office as the 3 pastor in February 1985, considering that the floating population was large, the proportion of believers low and lapsed believers many, intensively visited the apartment complexes and created the newsletter “Place of Sharing” to evangelize prospective believers and lapsed believers. Continuing to celebrate Mass in the temporary basement church, construction was resumed in March 1988, and on October 2 of the following year the dedication ceremony was celebrated, presided over by Bishop Angelo Kim Nam-su. In April 1987, a house in front of the church was purchased and the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul were invited, but in September of the following year they were replaced by the Benedictine Sisters of Busan.

The 4 pastor, Father Bartholomew Choe Jae-yong, purchased a site of 182 pyeong at lot 462-2 in Wolpi-dong, and on September 14, 1995, separated Wolpi-dong Parish, transferring 1,883 households and 4,716 people, while the 5 pastor, Father Lazarus Yun Yong-bae, carried out a Bible-copying campaign and a campaign to use a combined-volume Bible, and, raising a parish-division fund from 1998, separated Gojan-dong Parish on January 26, 1999, transferring 963 households and 2,702 people. In the same month Father Lazarus Yun Yong-bae left to become director of the Diocesan Office for Social Evangelization, and Father Peter Bae Yeong-seop took office as the 6 pastor (the Encyclopedia). The Cultural Encyclopedia states that after the jurisdictional adjustment in 1984, Wongok Church and Daehakdong Church were each separated as parishes, and that the separation of Wolpidong Church was on September 15, 1995.

[Jurisdiction and statistics] The Encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction at the time of establishment as parts of Suam-myeon in Siheung-gun and Jungang-dong, Seongpo-dong, Gojan-dong, Wadong, Bugok-dong and Suam-dong in Ansan-si, and gives the statistics as 1,646 people in 1981, 2,545 people in 1983, 2,982 people in 1988, 7,946 people in 1992, 10,394 people in 1994, and 5,996 people in 1997. According to the Cultural Encyclopedia, the church belongs to the Ansan 1 District of the Ansan Vicariate, commemorates October 15 every year as parish day, and as of 2016 the number of believers was 2,742. There are organizations such as the pastoral council, liturgy committee, choir, elementary and middle school teachers’ group, youth group, Legion of Mary, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Association for the Deceased, Marian Association, M·E, and mission soccer team.

[Successive pastors] The successive pastors as recorded in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism are the first, Paul Song Yeong-gyu (1981.8–1984.2), the 2, Antonio O’Brien (1984.2–1985.2), the 3, Joseph Cho Gyu-sik (1985.2–1991.9), the 4, Bartholomew Choe Jae-yong (1991.9–1995.9), the 5, Lazarus Yun Yong-bae (1995.9–1999.1), and the 6, Peter Bae Yeong-seop (1999.1–). The Cultural Encyclopedia states that as of 2016 the pastor was Father Simon Jeon.

Related Places and People

• Hawuhyeon Parish: the parish to which the Wari Catholic mission chapel first belonged (the Encyclopedia, the Cultural Encyclopedia).
• Wolpidong Church (1995) and Gojan Church (1999): churches separated from Suam (Wadong) Parish (the Encyclopedia). The Cultural Encyclopedia states that after the jurisdictional adjustment in 1984, Wongok Church and Daehakdong Church were also separated as parishes.

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholicism, “Suam Parish.” Wari Catholic mission chapel, establishment and renaming of the parish, dedication of the church, separation of Wolpi-dong and Gojan, statistics and successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3731
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Ansan Culture Encyclopedia, “Wadong Church” (written by Seong-hak Lee). History of establishment, name changes, separation of parishes, present status.
   https://ansan.grandculture.net/ansan/toc/GC02501147