Ilsan (7th District Parish) Catholic Church

Overview

Ilsan Church is a church on Wonil-ro, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to the Diocese of Uijeongbu, and is the head parish of District 7 of the Diocese of Uijeongbu. It was elevated from the Ilsan Catholic mission chapel to Ilsan Parish in 1958, and the parish patron is St. Anthony of Padua. After the development of Ilsan New Town, it spun off the Baekseok-dong, Tanhyeon-dong, Jungsan-dong and Pung-dong churches, and in 2004 it was transferred from the Archdiocese of Seoul to the Diocese of Uijeongbu.

History

[Mission chapel period] The “Introduction” on Ilsan Church’s website states that Ilsan Church was founded around 1930 as the Ilsan Catholic mission chapel of Jungnim-dong (former Yakhyeon) Church, at the house of Antonio Yi Han-ju. The chronology in the “Church History” contains an entry saying that in 1899 the Handeul Catholic mission chapel, now Baekseok-dong, was founded under the jurisdiction of Yakhyeon Parish. The introduction page states that in 1956, when the Haengju Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish, the Ilsan Catholic mission chapel was transferred to Haengju Parish, while the church history records that on October 5, 1948 the Haengju Catholic mission chapel was elevated to a parish, with the appointment of Father Kim Seong-hwan, and the Ilsan Catholic mission chapel again came under Haengju Parish, so the years differ. The church history also records that on June 10, 1957, after Father Im Chung-sin of Haengju Parish was transferred to Susaek Parish, it became a Catholic mission chapel of Susaek Parish because of population decline.

[Church site and elevation to parish] The introduction page states that through the arrangement of Father Thaddeus Kim Chang-seok, then a U.S. Marine chaplain, and Father Carlo Kim Dong-hwan, forest land of 3,816 pyeong at the present site was purchased and construction of the church building began in 1957. The chronology in the church history records this in its June 2, 1952 entry, as purchase of forest land of 3,816 pyeong for the church site and start of construction through the arrangement, until 1956, of Father Thaddeus Kim Chang-seok, chaplain of the Geumchon Marine Brigade 1, and his successor Father Carlo Kim Dong-hwan. The introduction page states that on July 3, 1958 Archbishop Noh Gi-nam blessed the church building and the Ilsan Catholic mission chapel was elevated to Ilsan Parish, St. Anthony of Padua, with jurisdiction over the Munsan, Geumchon, Wadong-ri, Janggok-ri and Samha-ri Catholic mission chapels, and on the same page states that on March 30, 1958 it was elevated to Ilsan Parish and Father Augustino Yu Dong-gu became the first parish priest; the church history spells the same person as Augustino Yu Bong-gu in the same entry. The church history records the elevation to Ilsan Parish and the appointment of the first pastor on March 30, 1958, the first matrimony in Ilsan Parish on May 5, the blessing and completion ceremony officiated by Bishop Noh Gi-nam on July 3, and the appointment of Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on October 7. The Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference directory lists the foundation date of Ilsan as 1958.6.25.

[Early parish activity] The church history records the appointments of the 2th pastor, Father Peter Yang Gi-seop, on January 9, 1962, the 3th, Father Benedict Jo Chang-hui, on August 7, 1965, the 4th, Father Casimiro Jo Sun-chang, on December 29, 1965, the 5th, Father Michael Yi Jong-hwan, on October 9, 1968, the 6th, Father Peter Kim Taek-am, on June 1, 1971, the 7th, Father Benedict Kim Yun-sang, on May 21, 1974, the 8th, Father Augustino Tak Hyeon-su, on June 10, 1976, the 9th, Father John Yi Gye-gwang, on May 15, 1980, the 10th, Father John Gyeong Gap-sil, on March 3, 1983, the 11th, Father John Bosco Choe Seong-gyun, on March 7, 1985, the 12th, Father Ignatius Kim Min-su, on September 9, 1988, the 13th, Father Andrew Yi Won-yong, on February 17, 1989, the 14th, Father Paul Jo Seung-gyun, on February 14, 1992, the 15th, Father Antonio Yi Sa-eung, on October 11, 1996, the 16th, Father Raphael Park Sin-eon, on October 5, 2001, and the 17st, Father Romano Maeng Je-yeong, on March 5, 2002. On April 10, 1965 Sisters of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament for Mutual Help took up their post, Confirmation for 244 people officiated by Cardinal Kim Su-hwan was held on June 1, 1969, and Confirmation for 75 people officiated by Archbishop Noh Gi-nam was held on November 21, 1971. On June 15, 1973 Sister Lucia Wu Sun-ok from the parish made perpetual vows in the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament for Mutual Help, and on May 21, 1977 the inaugural issue of Seoul Jubo, with an Ilsan Parish news section on page 4, issue No. 1, was published. On April 22, 1979 it is recorded that the patron and feast were corrected from “St. Anthony the Hermit,” on January 17, to “St. Anthony of Padua,” on June 13.

[Chronology of the 1980s] The church history records that convent remodeling began on September 2, 1984 and was completed on December 16, with a blessing by Father Raphael Park Sin-eon, director of the Seoul Archdiocese administration office, the groundbreaking Mass for the present parish church on June 1, 1986, the start of rectory construction on November 28, and the dedication Mass for the present parish church officiated by Cardinal Kim Su-hwan on November 25, 1987. The same chronology also has entries on the Wondang Catholic mission chapel: foundation of the Wondang Catholic mission chapel on January 19, 1986, with the first Mass by Cardinal Kim Su-hwan, purchase of the Wondang Catholic mission chapel site on October 13, 1987, and elevation of the Wondang Catholic mission chapel to Wondang Parish on August 22, 1988, with the appointment of the first pastor, Father John Vianney Oh Gi-o.

[New town development and spin-offs] The introduction page states that with population growth from the development of Ilsan New Town, it spun off the Baekseok-dong Church in 1993, the Tanhyeon-dong Church in 2000, the Jungsan-dong Church in 2001, and the Pung-dong Church in “20016,” as written. The church history records the separation of the Baekseok-dong Parish on February 22, 1994, the blessing of the Marian grotto, by Father Jo Seong-gyun, on August 15, 1993, and the start of parish wall work and education-hall work on January 17, 1993. The handover for the appointment of Father Kim Si-yong to Tanhyeon Parish on September 19, 2000 and the blessing of the Jubilee House on October 14, 2000, with the officiant listed in the chronology as Archbishop Jang Jin-seok, are also in the chronology.

[The 2000s] The church history records that the Ilsan Church fire occurred on May 1, 2004, the opening Mass of the St. Anthony Senior College on September 16, 2004, and the sisterhood tie with the Bonggang branch of the Andong Diocese on October 24, 2004. The introduction page states that on September 2004 it was separated from the Archdiocese of Seoul to the Diocese of Uijeongbu and on June 7, 2005 it was designated the District 7 seat church, with Father Michael Kim Dong-hun becoming the first district head of District 7; the chronology also records the appointment of pastor Father Simeon Kim In-seok on the same day. There was the unveiling of the statue of St. Anthony, by Father Kim In-seok, on June 10, 2007, commemorative events for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the St. Anthony of Padua parish on June 2008 through the 15th of 13, and the 50th anniversary Mass officiated by Bishop Joseph Yi Han-taek on June 15. The 20th pastor, Father Peter An Seung-gwan, took office on September 8, 2009, and the 21st pastor, Father Sebastian Kang Seung-han, took office on September 28, 2010.

[New rectory and education hall and recent years] The church history records that on August 25, 2013 a building committee for the rectory, convent and education hall was appointed, chaired by Simon Kim Gwang-sun, the groundbreaking Mass for the Antonio rectory and education hall on July 6, 2014, and the completion and blessing Mass officiated by Diocesan Bishop Peter Yi Gi-heon on August 23, 2015. Father Paul Choe Geon-bong took office as pastor on September 8, 2015, and Father Timothy Yi Eun-hyeong took office on February 19, 2019. There was a parish-day Mass in front of the statue of Anthony on June 10, 2018, and it is recorded that Masses were suspended from February 25, 2020 because of COVID-19, resumed on April 23, suspended again on August 30, suspended on September 11 and December 8, and resumed on January 18, 2021. The introduction page states that in 2018 it marked the 60th anniversary of the parish foundation.

[Patron saint] The patron-saint page explains that, despite the name “Anthony of Padua,” the saint was born into a noble family in Lisbon, Portugal, and is called by this name because Padua, Italy, is where he worked and is buried. According to the same page, the saint entered the Augustinian Canons at age 15, was ordained a priest in 1219, and became famous as a preacher after preaching at the priestly ordination in Forli in 1221. The saint died at age 36 at the Poor Clares and was canonized in 1232, the year after his death, and in 1946 Pope Pius 12 declared him a Doctor of the Church. It states that from the 17th century a legend arose that lost objects can be found by asking his intercession.

[Current clergy and jurisdiction] The introduction page states that the jurisdiction is Ilsan 1-dong, Ilsan 2-dong and part of Tanhyeon-dong, composed of 3 areas and 25 zones, and that 3 Sisters of the Mutual-Help Blessed Sacrament serve in ministry. The clergy and religious page states that District 7 head Father Joseph Jeong Won-sik and parish priest Father Thomas Aquinas Kim Seon-yong both took office on February 20, 2026.

Related places and people

• Haengju Church: the introduction page and the church history state that the Ilsan Catholic mission chapel was once under Haengju Parish.
• Baekseok-dong, Tanhyeon-dong, Jungsan-dong and Pung-dong churches: described on the introduction page as parishes spun off from Ilsan Church.
• Wondang Church: the church-history chronology records together the foundation of the Wondang Catholic mission chapel in 1986 and the elevation to Wondang Parish in 1988.

References and sources

1. Uijeongbu Diocese Ilsan Church website, “Introduction.” Mission-chapel period, elevation to parish in 1958, site purchase, spun-off parishes, transfer to Uijeongbu Diocese in 2004, District 7 seat, jurisdiction.
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/issd/default.aspx?mnucd=20001396
2. Uijeongbu Diocese Ilsan Church website, “Church History.” Chronology of 1899–2021 (elevation, church blessing, appointments of successive pastors, convent, rectory and education-hall works, 50th anniversary events, Mass suspensions and resumptions).
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/issd/default.aspx?mnucd=20001397
3. Uijeongbu Diocese Ilsan Church website, “Patron Saint.” St. Anthony of Padua.
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/issd/default.aspx?mnucd=20001398
4. Uijeongbu Diocese Ilsan Church website, “Clergy/Religious.” Current District 7 head, parish priest and other clergy.
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/issd/default.aspx?mnucd=20003397
5. Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Korean Catholic directory, Uijeongbu Diocese parish list, “Ilsan (Head Parish of District 7).” Foundation date June 25, 1958.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/SearchList.aspx?cgubn=g&char=all&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000020&paged=100&sort=0&start=1&tbxSearch=