Okjeong Catholic Church

Overview

Okjeong Church is a church at 8-gil 28, Okjeong-dong-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, belonging to District 4 of the Diocese of Uijeongbu. By the personnel appointment on February 6, 2020, its separation from Deokjeong Church was decided and it was newly established, and its patron is Susanna U Sul-im, one of the 103 saints.

History

〔Parish establishment〕 The introduction page of the Okjeong Church website states that the establishment of the parish was decided by the personnel appointment dated February 6, 2020, with Susanna U Sul-im, one of the 103 martyr saints, as patron. Its jurisdiction covers the Hoecheon 4-dong area: most of Yuljeong-dong, Okjeong-dong and Hoeam-dong that had belonged to Deokjeong Church, and Yuljeong-dong near Samgadae that had belonged to Yangju 2-dong. The first entry of the church history is also February 6, 2020 “decision to separate from Deokjeong Church in the Diocese of Uijeongbu.”

〔Tent church period〕 On February 18, 2020, Father Cha Pung (John de la Salle) took office as the first pastor, on March 12, 2020 the parish registers of all Okjeong Church members were transferred in, and on March 28 the pastor moved the rectory. On May 3, 2020, the first Mass was offered on the Okjeong Church site, and on May 30 the first ‘Night of Our Lady’ was offered on the site. On August 30, 2020 Masses were suspended due to the outbreak of COVID-19, and after reinstalling a Mongolian tent on September 20, Masses resumed. On December 25, 2020 the first adult baptisms were held, and on February 16, 2021 catechesis for catechumens began. On May 29, 2021 the Night of Our Lady was offered at the Okjeong Church tent church.

〔Use of the education center of Yangju 2-dong Church〕 On June 28, 2021 the Mass venue was changed to the Emmaus Education Center of Yangju 2-dong Church, and on July 7, 2021 Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon visited Okjeong Church. On October 17, 2021 the Mass venue returned to the tent church on the Okjeong Church site, and on October 27 district Masses (every Wednesday morning) began. The adult baptisms on August 15, 2021 (5 persons) and the confirmations on October 10 (16 persons) were held at Yangju 2-dong Church.

〔Construction of the education center and moving in〕 On December 1, 2022 a contract was signed with Winid Co., Ltd. as the builder for the Okjeong Church education center, and construction began on December 15. On February 8, 2023, part of the 3 floor of the building in front of the church was leased and used for weekday Masses and group meetings. On March 5, 2023 there was a thanksgiving Mass for the new education center celebrated by Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon, and on May 27, 2023 the education center was completed. On May 29, 2023 the Mass venue moved to Okjeong Church, on May 31 the lease of the building in front of the church ended, and on June 4 a concert was held to celebrate moving into the education center.

〔After 2024〕 By the priestly personnel change on February 18, 2024, Father Clement Kim Min-u took office as the 2 pastor (the arrival date on the clergy/religious page is 2024-02-15). On May 2, 2024 he attended the installation ceremony of Bishop Son Hee-song as diocesan bishop. From June 3, 2024 to July 20 parish defect repairs and surrounding maintenance work were carried out, and from August 19 to September 8 parish floor defect repairs and construction of the kitchen and meeting room were carried out. On October 1, 2024 the offering of 50 ten thousand decades of the rosary for the 5 anniversary of the parish establishment began, and on November 9, 2025 a bazaar ‘Open, Feast of Light’ was held for the 5 anniversary of the parish establishment. On December 7, 2025 there were confirmations (7 persons) celebrated by Bishop Son Hee-song, and on March 17, 2026 Diocesan Bishop Benedict Son Hee-song made a pastoral visit to Okjeong Church.

Related Places and People

• Deokjeong Church: the parish from which Okjeong Church was separated (website introduction and history).
• Yangju 2-dong Church: the neighboring parish whose education center and church Okjeong Church used for Masses and sacraments (church history).
• Saint Susanna U Sul-im: the patron. The website introduces her as born in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do as the daughter of a yangban family, married at fifteen to a Catholic in Incheon, entering the Church on her husband’s advice, arrested in 1828 but released as childbirth was imminent, arrested again with Agatha Yi at her house during the Byeong-o Persecution in 1846, tortured at the police station and martyred at age 44. It states that her day of martyrdom is September 20, 1846, that she was beatified by Pope Pius 11 on July 5, 1925 and proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul 2 on May 6, 1984.
• Father Cha Pung (John de la Salle): took office as first pastor on February 18, 2020 and was ordained on July 4, 2003 (clergy/religious page).
• Father Clement Kim Min-u: took office as the 2 pastor in 2024 and was ordained on January 31, 2018 (clergy/religious page).

References and Sources

1. Okjeong Catholic Church website, Introduction. Decision on parish establishment on February 6, 2020, patron (Susanna U Sul-im), jurisdiction.
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/ususanna/default.aspx?mnucd=20002140
2. Okjeong Catholic Church website, History of Okjeong Church. History of 2020–2026 (arrival of first pastor, first Mass on the site, tent church, construction of education center, moving in, priestly personnel change).
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/ususanna/default.aspx?mnucd=20002141
3. Okjeong Catholic Church website, Patron Saint. Life of Saint Susanna U Sul-im, beatification and canonization.
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/ususanna/default.aspx?mnucd=20002142
4. Okjeong Catholic Church website, Clergy/Religious. Arrival and ordination dates of first pastor Father Cha Pung and 2 pastor Father Kim Min-u.
   http://sd.uca.or.kr/ususanna/default.aspx?mnucd=20002143
5. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory (list of parishes in the Diocese of Uijeongbu) “Okjeong”. Location and pastor.
   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=