Juyeop-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Juyeop-dong Church is a church belonging to the Diocese of Uijeongbu, located on Juhwa-ro in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. It was founded by branching off from Baekseok-dong Church on March 4, 1995 and entered the present newly built church on November 8, 1998. It is the mother church that later branched off Daehwa-dong Church in 1997, Jeongbalsan Church in 2000 and Hugok Church in 2001.

History

[Site acquisition and establishment] The ‘Our Parish’ page on the Juyeop-dong Church website states that the Archdiocese of Seoul secured the Juyeop-dong Church site (354 pyeong) on February 17, 1992 and that the church branched off from Baekseok-dong Church on March 4, 1995 (3,798 faithful in 1,227 households). The parish history records the same day as ‘parish establishment approval (branching from Baekseok-dong)’, and the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference directory also lists 1995.3.4 as the establishment date for Juyeop-dong. According to the two pages, the first pastor, Francis Won Jae-hyeon, took office on March 17, 1995, and the first Mass was celebrated as an open-air Mass on March 19.

[Vinyl greenhouse church and entry into the new church] The ‘Our Parish’ page states that life in the Daehwa-dong vinyl greenhouse church began on October 30, 1995, while the parish history records the same event as October 3, 1995, so the dates on the two pages differ. The history records a groundbreaking Mass celebrated by Bishop Andrew Choi Chang-mu on September 1, 1996 and a celebratory Mass for entry into the newly built church on November 8, 1998. The ‘Our Parish’ page states that it entered the present newly built church on November 8, 1998.

[Branched-off parishes] The parish history records a groundbreaking Mass for the new Ilsan Catholic Education and Culture Center (Jeongbalsan Church) on April 11, 1997, the branching off of Daehwa-dong Church on October 10, 1997 (3,807 faithful in 1,112 households), the branching off of Jeongbalsan Church on September 7, 2000 and the appointment of the first pastor of Jeongbalsan Church, Ludovico Jeon Se-won, on September 19, and the branching off of Hugok Church on June 7, 2001 (1,649 faithful in 580 households). The ‘Our Parish’ page also states that Juyeop-dong Church is the mother church that branched off Daehwa-dong Church in 1997, Jeongbalsan Church in 2000 and Hugok Church in 2001.

[Diocese establishment and priestly ordinations] The parish history records the priestly ordination ceremony of Luke Kim Jin-cheol on July 5, 2002, the proclamation of the papal decree establishing the Diocese of Uijeongbu and the appointment of the new diocesan bishop, Joseph Lee Han-taek, on June 24, 2004, and the priestly ordination ceremony of Joseph Yu Gyeong-jae on July 5, 2006.

[Successive pastors] According to the parish history and the Priests and Sisters page, the pastors were No. 1 Francis Won Jae-hyeon (1995.3.17~2001.3.6), No. 2 Benedict Shin Jeong-sun (2001.3.6~2005.6.7), No. 3 Matthias No Yeon-ho (2005.6.7~2008.9.9), No. 4 Paul Jo Seung-gyun (2008.9.9~2013.9.3), No. 5 Raymond Kim O-seok (2013.9.3~2018.9.4), No. 6 Peter Lee Byeong-heon (2018.9.4~2023.2.21) and No. 7 Lawrence Jo Seong-ho (2023.2.21~). The same page lists as associate pastor No. 1 Anthony Song Yeong-ho (1995.12.1~1997.11.28) and others, and as collaborating priests for cooperative ministry from No. 1 Ambrose Kim Ju-yong (2012.9.6~2015.9.8) to No. 6 Sylvester Kim Bu-seop (2023.2.21~2025.2.18).

[Jurisdiction and symbol mark] The ‘Our Parish’ page gives the jurisdiction as all of Juyeop 1-dong and Juyeop 2-dong, Complexes 7 to 19, and the organization as 4 regions, 29 districts and 116 groups. It explains that in the symbol mark the circular form expressed around the cross represents the Eucharist, and the overlapping of circles symbolizes the harmony of the church community and the vitality of the parish pastoral council.

Related places and people

• Baekseok-dong Church: Juyeop-dong Church branched off from this parish in 1995 (Juyeop-dong Church website).
• Daehwa-dong Church, Jeongbalsan Church and Hugok Church: parishes branched off from Juyeop-dong Church in 1997, 2000 and 2001 respectively (Juyeop-dong Church website).

References and sources

1. Uijeongbu Diocese Juyeop-dong Church website, ‘Our Parish’. Site acquisition in 1992, branching and appointment of the first pastor in 1995, vinyl greenhouse church, entry into the new church in 1998, branched-off parishes, jurisdiction and symbol mark.
   http://www.jysd.or.kr/infomation/cathedral.php
2. Uijeongbu Diocese Juyeop-dong Church website, ‘Parish History’. History from 1995 to 2023 (establishment approval, branched-off parishes, entry into the new church, diocese establishment, appointments of pastors and priestly ordinations).
   http://www.jysd.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=history
3. Uijeongbu Diocese Juyeop-dong Church website, ‘Priests and Sisters’. Tenure periods of successive, cooperating-ministry and associate pastors.
   http://www.jysd.or.kr/infomation/priest.php
4. Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, List of Parishes in the Diocese of Uijeongbu in the Korean Catholic Directory, ‘Juyeop-dong’. Establishment date March 4, 1995.
   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=