Bonghwa Catholic Church

Overview

Bonghwa Church is a church belonging to the Andong Diocese in Bonghwa-eup, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The Bonghwa Catholic mission chapel established inside Bonghwa Aeyukwon in 1954 was elevated to a parish on May 10, 1958, and its patron saint is Saint Joseph.

History

[Beginnings of local faith] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a faith community formed in Bonghwa, a mountainous area in northern Gyeongsang-do, when believers from the Chungcheong-do region fled here around the Sinyu Persecution. Kim Jong-han (Andrew), the great-uncle of Father Kim Dae-geon, moved to Uryeonbat (present-day Galsan-ri, Jaesan-myeon) and began a life of faith after baptism, while Kim Gyeong-seo (Francis) from Yeosaul fled to Godeunjeong at about the same time and lived the faith. In March 1815 (lunar calendar), Kim Gyeong-seo was arrested on the denunciation of the apostate Jeon Ji-su, and Kim Jong-han was also arrested on April 23 of that year (lunar calendar) and was martyred at Daegu Gwandeokdang on November 1 of the following year (lunar calendar) together with Lee Yun-jip, a catechumen from Geonsagol. The encyclopedia records that Lee Jae-haeng (Andrew), who lived in Gomjigi in Sunheung, was arrested during the Jeonghae Persecution in 1827 and was martyred during the Gihae Persecution in 1839, and that repeated persecutions dissolved the Catholic villages in the Bonghwa area.

[Establishment of the mission chapel and elevation to parish] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the mission chapel in Bonghwa was established shortly after the Korean War. When Jeong Tae-jung (Peter) founded “Bonghwa Aeyukwon” for war orphans, believers including Chairman Jeong (Thomas) of Andong Parish taught catechism to the children, which led Father Jeong Haeng-man (Francis Xavier) of Andong Parish to establish the Bonghwa Catholic mission chapel inside the Aeyukwon in 1954. As not only the orphans but also ordinary local believers began to come to the mission chapel, it was elevated to a parish only 4 years after its establishment, and Father Maurice (J.M. Maurice, Lee Seong-chun) was appointed as the first pastor. The Andong Diocese parish establishment order table also lists May 10, 1958 as the establishment date of Bonghwa Parish.

[First pastorate] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Maurice used the orphanage auditorium as a temporary church and then in March 1961 newly built a church (82 pyeong), a rectory (30 pyeong), and a convent (20 pyeong). Earlier, in 1960, he had founded Gaenghwawon (San 177, Geumbong-ri, Bongseong-myeon) and began leprosy relief work caring for Hansen’s disease patients, and on May 4 of the same year he invited the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From November 1962, no resident pastor could be appointed for more than 1 years, so Father Felix (Bae Se-yeong) of Yeongju Parish, Father Coyos (Gu In-deok), and Father Noel (No Gwang-myeong) provided pastoral care instead.

[After 1969] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 2th pastor, Father Durand, opened “Sacred Heart Kindergarten” on February 4, 1969, and the 3th pastor, Father Diribarne, newly built the Dueum Catholic mission chapel in April 1973. The 4th pastor, Father Lee Gil-jun, was transferred in April 1978 to Nowon-dong Parish of the Daegu Archdiocese. Appointed as the 5th pastor on May 18, 1979, Father Dok (R. Doc, Park) Rogerio built the Chunyang mission hall on February 11, 1980 and repaired the Jaesan mission chapel in 1983, but died suddenly on October 3 of that year. Afterwards Father Kim Jae-mun (Ignatius) and Father Jo Jong-yul (Bernard) offered Mass every other week, and Father Yu Jae-jun was appointed as the 6th pastor. Under the 7th pastor, Father Oh Seong-baek, the rectory, convent, kindergarten, and education hall were completed on December 13, 1991.

[Ugok shrine] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 8th pastor, Father Gaztambide (A. Gaztambide, Han Sang-deok), worked to develop the Ugok-ri, Bongseong-myeon area, where the tomb of Hong Yu-han is located, into a historic site and youth retreat center. Beginning in 1993, the area began to be developed as a diocesan historic site, the Andong Diocese Martyrs Honoring Assembly was held on September 17, 1995, an outdoor retreat facility was built in 1997, and a small chapel was built the following year. Good News shrine information introduces this Ugok Shrine as the resting place of Hong Yu-han, the first ascetic of the Korean Church, and his descendant martyrs.

[Jurisdiction and successive pastors] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia lists the jurisdiction as all of Bonghwa-gun except Seokpo-myeon, and the subordinate mission chapels as 4 places: Chunyang, Dueum, Jaesan, and Gaenghwa. Church membership was 460 in 1965, 600 in 1972, 534 in 1978, 604 in 1982, 872 in 1987, 887 in 1991, and 898 in 1996. The successive pastors were Maurice (1958.5–1962.11), 2th Durand (A. Durand, Na Seong-do) Almel (1964.2–1970.6), 3th Diribarne (P. Diribarne, Jo Dong-rae) Peter (1970.11–1973.6), 4th Lee Gil-jun Paul (1974.2–1978.4), 5th Dok (R. Doc, Park) Rogerio (1979.5–1983.10), 6th Yu Jae-jun Thaddeus (1984.3–1989.3), 7th Oh Seong-baek Joachim (1989.7–1993.5), and 8th Gaztambide Antonio (1993.5–). Later, the Chunyang mission chapel was elevated to a parish on September 10, 2010, as listed in the Andong Diocese parish establishment order table.

Related places and people

• Andong Parish (present-day Mokseong-dong Parish): the mother parish that established the Bonghwa mission chapel in 1954 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Ugok Shrine: the Ugok-ri, Bongseong-myeon area where Hong Yu-han’s tomb is located, developed as a diocesan historic site since 1993 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Good News shrine information).
• Gaenghwa mission chapel: the Bonghwa Parish mission chapel begun with the founding of Gaenghwawon in 1960 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Chunyang Church: formerly a mission chapel under Bonghwa Parish, elevated to a parish on September 10, 2010 (Andong Diocese parish establishment order).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Korean Catholic Encyclopedia “Bonghwa Parish” (Vol. 6). Transcription, mission establishment in 1954, parish elevation in 1958, successive pastors, subordinate mission chapels, church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2659
2. Andong Diocese, jurisdiction map and parish distribution (diocesan overview). Bonghwa Parish establishment date May 10, 1958, Chunyang Parish establishment date September 10, 2010.
   https://www.acatholic.or.kr/sub1/sub1_4.asp
3. Good News, Shrines and Historic Sites “Ugok Shrine”. Introduction to the shrine as the resting place of Teacher Hong Yu-han and his descendant martyrs.
   https://app.catholic.or.kr/web/holyplace/?seq=2344