Yuljeondong Catholic Church

Overview

Yuljeon-dong Church is a church in Yuljeon-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Diocese of Suwon. Separated from Jowon-dong Parish and established on January 22, 1988, its patron is Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and the faith community that began in 1983 in the basement ‘small chapel’ of Cheonrok Apartment is the origin of the parish.

History

〔Beginning of the Small Chapel〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the number of believers in the Yuljeon-dong area, which was only a little over 30 households in March 1982, began to increase rapidly when Cheonrok Apartment, known as the Catholic senior apartment, was offered for sale in April 1983. Although it had been advertised that a Mass venue would be installed inside the apartment complex, only a little over 40 households of believers had actually moved in by May 1983. As promised, about 30 pyeong of the basement of Building 2 of the apartment was set up as a Mass venue, and believers called it the ‘small chapel.’ With donations from believers, furnishings for the church interior were prepared, and signboards reading ‘Yuljeon Small Chapel’ and ‘Catholic Church’ were installed at the entrance of the small chapel and beside the guard post at the main gate of the apartment, and on September 14 of that year the first Mass was celebrated by Father Choi Deok-gi (Paul), pastor of Bugok Parish.

〔Change of Affiliation and Elevation to Parish〕 According to the encyclopedia, in November 1986 affiliation was transferred from Bugok Parish to Jowon-dong Parish. 2 years after starting as a Catholic mission chapel, the number of believers had grown to 144 households and 342 persons, making the basement church too small, so on January 18, 1988 the present church site of about 1,011 pyeong was purchased, and four days later, on January 22, Yuljeon-dong Small Chapel was elevated to a parish and the first pastor, Father Han Jong-hun (Stephen), took office. The Catholic Times (2025) also writes that it was separated from Jowon-dong Cathedral Parish and established on January 22, 1988, and the article on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Jowon-dong Cathedral Parish (2026) also writes that Jowon-dong Parish, starting with Yuljeon-dong Parish in 1988, spun off several parishes.

〔Construction of the Church〕 The encyclopedia records that on June 2, 1989 the first Mass was celebrated on basement floor 2 of the newly built church. The Catholic Times writes that the parish built the church building on its present site in the year following its establishment.

〔Early Pastoral Care and Spin-off〕 According to the encyclopedia, when Father Han Jong-hun went on rest for health reasons in August 1991, assistant Father Hong Chang-jin (John Bosco) served as acting pastor for about 6 months and was appointed as the 2 pastor in February 1992. In March 1992 a system of district heads and zone leaders for neighborhood communities was introduced, and women’s federations such as the Marian Association, the Ursula Association, and the Sacred Heart Association were newly established. In July 1998, as households surged due to new move-ins into apartments, districts and small groups were readjusted, and in the same year flower-bed landscaping and defect-repair work on the church were carried out and a Marian garden was created in front of the main gate. In August 1999 the rectory was repaired, and after holding the groundbreaking ceremony for Irwol Church on December 23, 2000, Irwol Parish was separated and established on January 30, 2001, transferring 717 households and 2,176 believers. Under the 5 pastor, Father Yang Hyeong-gwon, a 45-day ‘Finding Our Family’ evangelization campaign was conducted.

〔Successive Pastors and Church Statistics〕 The successive pastors recorded in the encyclopedia are the first Han Jong-hun Stephen (1988.1–1991.8), interim Hong Chang-jin John Bosco (1991.8–1992.2), the 2 pastor Hong Chang-jin (1992.2–1995.2), the 3 pastor Kwon Gi-cheol Angelo (1995.2–1996.7), the 4 pastor Lee Hun John the Apostle (1996.7–2001.1), and the 5 pastor Yang Hyeong-gwon Paul (2001.1–). Church strength is recorded as 1,548 persons in 1988, 3,360 persons in 1992, 3,939 persons in 1996, and 5,862 persons in 2000, and the jurisdiction is recorded as all of Yuljeon-dong and Cheoncheon-dong in Suwon-si, part of Guun-dong (Samhwan Apartment), and the Ipbug 2-ri area of Banwol-myeon, Hwaseong-gun.

Architecture and Space

The Catholic Times (2025) introduces it as a red-brick church built between an apartment complex and a main road. 10 years after its establishment, when the interior had become worn and needed repair, it was decided to engrave the icon of the patron, Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, across the entire wall behind the altar, and at the center of the altar a mosaic icon is engraved in the form of an oval half-dome. Above Mary’s head there is a star, and the white bird shape surrounding the star symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and below Mary a world map is engraved. From the ceiling hangs a crown chandelier shaped like Mary’s crown. The icon work was undertaken by artist Go Seung-yong (Luke) in collaboration with his wife, artist Yun Hye-yeong (Veronica), who does mosaic work. The Seven Sorrows of Mary on either side of the altar are works by Yun Hye-yeong, painted in natural earth colors with soil collected from across the country, and on the floor of the sanctuary the symbols of the Seven Sacraments are engraved in mosaic. On the walls of the sanctuary there are also reliefs of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael.

Related Places and Figures

• Jowon-dong Cathedral Church: the mother parish from which Yuljeon-dong Parish was separated (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholic Times).
• Bugok Parish: the parish where Father Choi Deok-gi, who celebrated the first Mass at Yuljeon-dong Small Chapel, was pastor, and the parish of affiliation until November 1986 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Irwol Parish: the parish separated and established from Yuljeon-dong Parish on January 30, 2001 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Research Institute for Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Yuljeon-dong Parish” (Vol. 9). From the small chapel in 1983 through elevation to parish in 1988, church construction, spin-off of Irwol Parish, successive pastors, church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4953
2. Catholic Times, “[Suwon Diocese Church Pilgrimage] Yuljeon-dong Church” (issue of May 11, 2025, No. 3441). Establishment, church construction, mosaic icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and church art.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/20250505500186
3. Catholic Times, “Thanksgiving Mass for the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Jowon-dong Cathedral Parish in the Diocese of Suwon Celebrated” (May 25, 2026). Parishes spun off starting with Yuljeon-dong Parish in 1988.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/20260525500065