Yongin Catholic Church

Overview

Yongin Church is a church of the Suwon Diocese located in Gimnyangjang-dong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. It was separated and established from Namgok-ri Parish (now Yangji Parish) on June 5, 1959, and the Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia describes it as the second-oldest Catholic church in the Yongin-si area. Its patron is St. Peter the Apostle.

History

[Mission chapel period] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the present Yongin Parish area was a Catholic mission chapel of Gatdeungi Parish (now Wangnim) in 1888, then came under the jurisdiction of Mirinae Parish when Mirinae Parish was newly established in April 1896, and was transferred to Apgoji Parish when Apgoji Parish, the first parish in Yongin-gun, was established in Jeondae-ri, Pogok-myeon, Yongin-gun in May 1913. When Apgoji Parish was closed in 1930 because the parish priest post was vacant, its mission chapels were reincorporated into Namgok-ri Parish. The congregation at the Yongin-myeon seat, which was the Yongin mission chapel of Namgok-ri Parish, numbered about 5 to 6 households, but as it was the seat of Yongin-gun and showed a trend toward urbanization, it was decided to build a church in Yongin, and on April 5, 1956 the “Yongin Church New Construction Committee” was formed.

[Church construction and blessing] According to the encyclopedia, through the efforts of Father Jo In-hwan of Namgok-ri Parish and Chairman Joseph Kwon Hyeong-gyu, in 1956 the site of a sawmill and public bath at lot 133 in Gimnyangjang-ri, Yongin-eup (then a market area) was purchased. After purchasing the parish land, construction began on a church of red brick with a galvanized-iron roof (about 70 pyeong) and a rectory (20 pyeong), completed in December 1958, with the blessing ceremony celebrated by Bishop Paul No Gi-nam. The aid of the American National Catholic Welfare Conference (N.C.W.C.) and the volunteered labor of the faithful of Yangji and Yongin contributed greatly to the completion of Yongin Parish.

[Parish establishment] According to the encyclopedia, in June 1959 the Yongin mission chapel received approval for elevation to a parish, was separated and established from Namgok-ri Parish, and Father Jo In-hwan became the first parish priest. Namgok-ri Parish later changed its name to Yangji Parish. The Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia records that its mother parish was Yangji Church, that it branched off in 1959 and was formally established as a parish on June 5, and that Father Peter Jo In-hwan of Yangji Church became the first parish priest.

[Development of the parish] According to the encyclopedia, the 2 parish priest, Father Matthias Kim Hyo-sin, during 11 years in office, newly built the Osansu (Osan-ri, Mohyeon-myeon) mission chapel hall and founded Hyosin Vocational School in Jeondae-ri, Pogok-myeon, contributing to education in the rural area, and additionally purchased church land to expand it to 681 pyeong. The 3 parish priest, Father Peter Byeon Gi-yeong, newly built a convent in 1972 and provided a branch house for the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and, to promote the independent operation of the mission chapels, then numbering 33, and to raise the awareness of mission chapel leaders, intensively provided liturgical education and rural community reform education from 1973 to 300 mission chapel chairpersons, vice-chairpersons and women representatives in accordance with the “Suwon Diocese Lay Formation 3-Year Plan.” The Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia records that the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who entered Yongin Church from 1972, have greatly contributed to parish ministry.

[New construction, relocation and fire] According to the encyclopedia, the 5 parish priest, Father Gabriel Kim Yeong-ok, established a church relocation plan, sold the church site at lot 133 in Gimnyangjang-ri, and purchased 1,364 pyeong at lot 376 in Gimnyangjang-ri as the new church site. Construction of the new church began in June 1982 and was completed in February 1985 with a total floor area of 560 pyeong, and the blessing ceremony was celebrated by Bishop Angelo Kim Nam-su on December 6, 1987 (the Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia also records that the church building was newly built and moved to its present location in 1985). The 7 parish priest, Father Daniel Han Yeon-heum, extensively repaired the rectory, convent and education hall in October 1989 because of the risk of collapse of the retaining wall and problems with the rectory, convent and church work. During the term of the 8 parish priest, Father James Jo Won-gyu, the church interior was completely destroyed by an electrical short circuit in May 1994, but the faithful joined forces to rebuild it and celebrated a thanksgiving Mass on January 15 of the following year. In July 1995 the Songjeon mission chapel and in February 1997 the Cheonri mission chapel were elevated to parishes (encyclopedia).

[Jurisdiction and statistics] According to the Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia, the jurisdiction of Yongin Church covers the entire former Yongin-eup area of Gyeonggi-do, including Gimnyangjang-dong, Yeokbuk-dong, Samga-dong, Nam-dong, Mapyeong-dong, Yubang-dong, Gorim-dong, Unhak-dong, Ho-dong and Haegok-dong, with 3,872 faithful, and the jurisdictional area is being divided with nearby churches. The statistics of the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 2,818 faithful in 1977, 3,461 in 1984, 4,337 in 1990, 5,572 in 1995, and 4,701 in 2000.

[Successive parish priests] The successive priests recorded by the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first Peter Jo In-hwan (1959.6–1961.4), 2 Matthias Kim Hyo-sin (1961.4–1972.7), 3 Peter Byeon Gi-yeong (1972.7–1974.12), 4 Callistus Jang Deok-ho (1974.12–1979.3), 5 Gabriel Kim Yeong-ok (1979.3–1985.2), 6 Stephen Han Jong-hun (1985.2–1988.2), 7 Daniel Han Yeon-heum (1988.2–1993.2), 8 James Jo Won-gyu (1993.2–1995.2), 9 Matthew Seo Gang-ha (1995.2–2001.1), and 10 Joseph Lee Gyu-cheol (2001.1–).

Related places and people

• Yangji Parish (former Namgok-ri Parish): the mother parish of Yongin Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia).
• Songjeon and Cheonri Parishes: former mission chapels of Yongin Parish, elevated to parishes in July 1995 and February 1997 respectively (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Apgoji Parish: established in May 1913 in Jeondae-ri, Pogok-myeon, Yongin-gun as the first parish in Yongin-gun, to which Yongin-area mission chapels once belonged (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Peter Jo In-hwan: the first parish priest of Yongin Parish, who labored for the construction of the church (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Yongin Parish.” Mission chapel period and church construction, parish establishment in 1959, development and new church construction and blessing in 1985, fire and rebuilding in 1994, successive priests, statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4741
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Yongin Culture Encyclopedia “Yongin Church” (written by Jo Hyeon-beom). Establishment in 1959 and first parish priest, new construction and relocation in 1985, entry of the sisters’ congregation, jurisdiction and present status.
   https://yongin.grandculture.net/yongin/toc/GC00902058