Yangji Church

Overview

Yangji Church is a church in Namgok-ri, Yangji-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Suwon Diocese. On September 14, 1927, it was elevated from a mission chapel under Mirinae Parish to Namgok-ri Parish and established, and the Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia describes it as the oldest surviving Catholic church in the Yongin area. Its patron saint is Saint Kim Daegon Andrea.

History

[Euni and Golbaemasil Mission Chapels] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the present Yangji Parish jurisdiction includes the historic Catholic villages of Euni (Eun-ri, Namgok-ri, Naesa-myeon) and Golbaemasil (Yonggok, Namgok-ri). Euni is where Father Kim Daegon (Andrea) began his first pastoral ministry after his priestly ordination. Golbaemasil is where his father, Saint Kim Jejun (Ignacio), lived after moving there around 1835–1836, after leaving Solmoe in Chungcheong-do (Songsan-ri, Ugang-myeon, Dangjin-gun) and settling in Handeok-dong, Yongin (Gwangparigol and Seong-aegol in Muk-ri, Idong-myeon); it is also where Kim Daegon was selected as a seminarian candidate by Father Mobang (P. Maubant) around Easter in 1836. The two mission chapels came under the jurisdiction of Gatdeungi (present-day Wangnim) Parish in the 1880s, and in 1888 Father Andre (J. André) of that parish recorded 63 faithful at the Golbaemasil mission chapel. In 1890 there were 61 faithful at the Euni mission chapel as well, and in 1922 there were 103 at the Golbaemasil mission chapel and 290 at the Euni mission chapel, so that by the early 1920s a near-parish-sized number of faithful were already living there.

[Parish Establishment] According to the encyclopedia, on September 14, 1927, Father Park Dongheon, who was serving as assistant priest at Mirinae Parish, built a 16-kan church at Jaebagi in Beolteo, Namgok-ri, and took office as its first pastor, thereby elevating it to a parish, and the number of faithful at the time of establishment was 801. The Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia also states that its original mother parish was Mirinae Church and that it branched off in 1927 and was formally established as a parish on September 14. According to the encyclopedia, the parish changed its name to Yangji Parish around the Korean War. In 1930, Apgoji (Jeondaeri) Parish, the predecessor of Yongin Parish, was closed and incorporated into Yangji Parish. Father Park Dongheon added 4 kan to the church in 1931, held retreats for parish and mission-chapel leaders from time to time, and organized 6 apostolic groups by sex and age to meet every week. Around 1939, it had jurisdiction over 19 mission chapels across Yongin-gun, Gwangju-gun, and Icheon-gun.

[Church Relocation and New Construction after Liberation] According to the encyclopedia, after Liberation, Father Lee Wanseong, who took office as the 3 pastor, acquired a vested property house in Golbaemasil and moved the church from Beolteo to its present location. Father Jo Inhwan, the 4 pastor, began construction of a new church in May 1954 and completed a 78-pyeong church with the help of a U.S. military unit, holding the dedication ceremony on April 19 of the following year. On August 21, 1958, the Legion of Mary praesidium ‘Queen of Roses’ was founded, which became the origin of the Legion of Mary in the Suwon Diocese. As church strength surged, Yongin Parish was separated on June 5, 1959, and parish registers for more than 3,000 people were transferred. Father Jeong Juseong, the 6 pastor, repaired the church and erected a statue of Blessed Kim Daegon on September 16, 1962. Under Father Ryu Bonggu, the 8 pastor, an education hall and a convent were newly built in 1979, and Father Yun Yongbae, the 10 pastor, completed the rectory in December 1988.

[Construction of the Present Church] According to the encyclopedia, although there had been several partial repairs, the church was too old and small, so construction of a new church began on October 10, 1987. Construction was temporarily suspended in December 1990 for lack of funds but soon resumed, and in 1993 a 600-pyeong church was completed, with the dedication ceremony held on September 14, 1997. Prior to this, in May 1996 537 pyeong of the Euni mission chapel site was purchased, and on June 25 of the same year a statue of Father Saint Kim Daegon and an outdoor altar were erected, and the encyclopedia notes that there was a plan to develop the site as a historic site in the future. On July 6, 1998, the relic exhibition hall for Father Saint Kim Daegon was opened, and the encyclopedia notes that a ‘Father Saint Kim Daegon Memorial Hall’ (tentative name) was scheduled to be built there at the diocesan level.

[Jurisdiction, Church Statistics, and Successive Pastors] The jurisdiction recorded in the encyclopedia covers all of Yangji-myeon and Wonsam-myeon in Yongin-si and parts of Baegam-ri, Bakgok-ri, Geunchang-ri, Geunsam-ri, Gachang-ri, Geungok-ri, and Gajwa-ri in Baegam-myeon, with 5 affiliated mission chapels at Baegam, Godang, Gochogol, Yongam, Hanteo, and elsewhere. In 1966 there were 1,950 faithful, in 1972 there were 1,906, in 1979 there were 2,034, in 1985 there were 1,730, in 1990 there were 1,893, in 1995 there were 2,187, and in 1999 there were 2,727. The successive pastors were the first, Marco Park Dongheon (1927.9–1941.6), the 2 pastor, Emilio Peuromangtu (E. Fromentoux) (1941.6–1949.8), the 3 pastor, Johann Lee Wanseong (1949.8–1950.12), the 4 pastor, Peter Jo Inhwan (1950.12–1959.5), the 5 pastor, Luca Jeong Wonjin (1959.5–1961.3), the 6 pastor, Joseph Jeong Juseong (1961.3–1968.5), the 7 pastor, Marco Son Taeseop (1968.5–1970.7), the 8 pastor, Augustino Ryu Bonggu (1970.7–1980.4), the 9 pastor, Cleto Han Bongju (1980.4–1985.7), the 10 pastor, Lazaro Yun Yongbae (1985.7–1989.11), the 11 pastor, Martino Lee Wontae (1989.11–1995.2), the 12 pastor, Benedikto Park Jeongbae (1995.2–1997.2), and the 13 pastor, John the Apostle An Byeongseon (1997.2–). The Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia records the jurisdiction as the entire Yangji-myeon in Yongin-si, states that the parish feast day is September 16 and that the Yongin Vicariate is located within the church. The number of faithful in the same entry is 1,935.

Related Places and People

• Euni Shrine and Golbaemasil Shrine: Catholic village sites related to Father Kim Daegon within the jurisdiction of Yangji Church, and the Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia notes that nearby are Golbaemasil Shrine and Euni Shrine, where Father Kim Daegon grew up and was active.
• Mirinae Parish: the mother parish of Yangji Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Yongin Parish: established on June 5, 1959, separated from Yangji Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Marco Park Dongheon: the first pastor of Yangji Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia ‘Yangji Parish’. Euni and Golbaemasil mission chapels, elevation to parish in 1927, incorporation of Apgoji Parish, church relocation and new construction, separation of Yongin Parish, jurisdiction, statistics, and successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4299
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia ‘Yangji Church’ (written by Jo Hyeonbeom). Establishment in 1927 and mother parish, patron saint, parish feast day, jurisdiction, and present status.
   https://yongin.grandculture.net/yongin/toc/GC00902046