Munsan Catholic Church

Overview

Munsan Church is a parish in Munsan-eup, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to District 8 of the Catholic Diocese of Uijeongbu. It was separated from Ilsan Parish and established on February 10, 1973, and its patron is Queen of Peace. It began as the Munsan Catholic mission chapel founded in 1962, and completed the present church on May 31, 1980 with a blessing ceremony. It separated the Geumchon Catholic mission chapel in 1978 and the Jeokseong Catholic mission chapel in 1996 as child parishes, respectively.

History

According to the 'Munsan Parish' entry in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as the Catholic community grew in the Munsan area, a military base in Seonyu-ri, Imjin-myeon, Paju-gun by administrative district, Father Yang Giseop (Peter), the 2th pastor of Ilsan Parish which had pastoral jurisdiction over the area, purchased on October 1962 land measuring 509 pyeong and then established the Munsan Catholic mission chapel. For about 10 years thereafter, successive pastors of Ilsan Parish visited the Munsan Catholic mission chapel every other week to administer the sacraments and celebrate Mass.

Through the active efforts of Father Kim Taekam (Peter), the 6th pastor of Ilsan Parish, the Munsan Catholic mission chapel was raised to a parish on February 10, 1973, and at that time it also took over and came to administer the Jeokseong Catholic mission chapel and the Jangpari Catholic mission chapel under the jurisdiction of Beopwon-ri Parish. The directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea also records the establishment date of Munsan Parish as February 10, 1973. Father Lee Jonghyo (Clemens), pastor of Beopwon-ri Parish, concurrently served as the first pastor of Munsan Parish, but as of November 22, 1973, Father Bong Huiman (Antonio) was appointed as the 2nd pastor. The following year, on May, the Geumchon and Wadong Catholic mission chapels under Ilsan Parish were incorporated into Munsan Parish.

Even after its elevation to a parish, it continued to use the Catholic mission chapel building as the church, but during the tenure of Father Bong Huiman, on November 1975, with support from the diocese, a new church and rectory were built. During the tenure of Father Kim Changhun (Paul), the 3rd pastor, on August 18, 1978, the Geumchon Catholic mission chapel under its jurisdiction was separated as the first child parish, and the Wadong Catholic mission chapel was transferred to the new parish. The following year, construction of a new church began on March on 528 pyeong of land at the site of the present church provided by the diocese, with the help of 19 parishes in downtown Seoul, but financial difficulties were great, so the church was completed on May 31, 1980 with a blessing ceremony. On April 1981, the Jangpari Catholic mission chapel building was repaired and work on parish auxiliary facilities was carried out.

The encyclopedia regards the 1980s as the parish's heyday, noting that during this period it worked to strengthen bonds among the faithful, for example by celebrating Masses by district at Christmas and Easter, and organized various lay groups centered on the parish pastoral council to enliven devotional associations. At the time of compilation, the parish had, centered on the pastoral council, 1 curiae and 7 praesidia of the Legion of Mary, the district and block leaders' group, the Association for the Deceased, the choir, Ultreya, the Paula Association, a service and fellowship group for women parishioners in their 30s, and the Anna Association, a service and fellowship group for women parishioners in their 50s to 60s, and it also had a library lending wholesome videotapes and books. Although the number of the faithful once fell sharply due to parish divisions, the Catholic community grew steadily thereafter, and on November 21, 1996 the Jeokseong Catholic mission chapel was separated and established as the second child parish.

The Catholic population recorded in the encyclopedia was in 1973 994 persons, in 1977 742 persons, in 1981 776 persons, in 1986 1,176 persons, in 1990 2,261 persons, and in 1995 1,478 persons. The successive pastors recorded in the same entry are the first, Lee Jonghyo (Clemens, February 1973–November), the 2nd, Bong Huiman (Antonio, November 1973–May 1977), the 3rd, Kim Changhun (Paul, May 1977–July 1980), the 4th, Jeon Yongseon (John, July 1980–May 1983), the 5th, Cha Wonseok (Thomas, May 1983–August 1984), the 6th, Park Inseon (Dominic, August 1984–September 1988), the 7th, Lee Jaedon (John the Baptist, September 1988–September 1990), the 8th, Kim Gyeonghui (Paul, September 1990–February 1992), the 9th, Lee Sangheon (Joseph, February 1992–September 1995), and the 10th, Hwang Cheolan (Aloysius, September 1995–at the time of compilation).

Architecture and Space

The Munsan Catholic mission chapel began with land purchased on October 1962 measuring 509 pyeong, and even after its elevation to a parish it used the Catholic mission chapel building as the church for some time. On November 1975, with support from the diocese, a church and rectory were newly built, and the present church was begun on 528 pyeong of land provided by the diocese on March 1979 and was completed and blessed on May 31, 1980 with the help of 19 parishes in downtown Seoul.

Religious Meaning and Context for Visiting

Munsan Church began as a Catholic mission chapel of Ilsan Parish in the Munsan area, where a military base had been located, and after becoming a parish, it successively separated Geumchon Parish and Jeokseong Parish. Its patron is Queen of Peace, and the directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea lists, together with the parish, the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Related Places and People

• Ilsan Church (Ilsan Parish): the mother parish that administered the Munsan Catholic mission chapel and separated Munsan Parish in 1973
• Geumchon Church: the first child parish separated from Munsan Parish on August 18, 1978. The directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea records the establishment date of Geumchon Parish as September 7, 1978
• Jeokseong Church (Jeokseong Parish): the second child parish, established when the Jeokseong Catholic mission chapel was separated on November 21, 1996
• Beopwon-ri Church (Beopwon-ri Parish): the parish that handed over the Jeokseong and Jangpari Catholic mission chapels to Munsan Parish in 1973
• Father Yang Giseop (Peter): as the 2th pastor of Ilsan Parish, purchased land in 1962 and established the Munsan Catholic mission chapel
• Father Kim Taekam (Peter): as the 6th pastor of Ilsan Parish, worked for the elevation of the Munsan Catholic mission chapel to a parish

References and Sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, 'Munsan Parish.' Confirms the establishment of the mission chapel in 1962, the elevation to a parish and transfer of mission chapels on February 10, 1973, successive pastors, the new construction of the church and rectory in 1975, the separation of the Geumchon and Jeokseong mission chapels, the completion and blessing of the present church in 1980, group activities, and Catholic population statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2143
2. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Directory of the Catholic Church in Korea (Munsan Parish). Confirms belonging to District 8 of the Diocese of Uijeongbu, establishment date February 10, 1973, patron Queen of Peace, and the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000276&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000020
3. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, 'Geumchon Parish.' Confirms separation and establishment from Munsan Parish on August 18, 1978.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/802
4. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Directory of the Catholic Church in Korea (Geumchon Parish). Confirms the establishment date of Geumchon Parish as September 7, 1978.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&code=201000265&gubn=4&gubn2=all&gyogu=201000020