덕정 (4지구장 본당) 성당

History & origins

Catholic history in Deokjeong began with a community of believers who settled in the area in the early twentieth century and formed Deokjeong Mission Station. The mission passed through the jurisdiction of Gaeseong and Sinam-ri parishes before being elevated to Deokjeong-ri Parish in May 1934, with Fr. Leon Pichon as its first pastor. In 1945, however, the parish property was sold and the community reverted to mission-station status under Uijeongbu Parish.

After passing through the care of several parishes, the Deokjeong community was elevated again to parish status in October 1997. A church in Hoejeong-ri was dedicated in 1998. Construction of the present church began in 2007, and Bishop Joseph Lee Han-taek dedicated it on May 10, 2009. In 2011 Deokjeong assumed the role of district-head parish for District 4. Its history is unusual for the cycle of elevation, reduction to a mission, re-establishment, and eventual emergence as a regional pastoral center.