Baegun Church

Overview

Baegun Church is a church in Baegun-myeon, Jecheon-si, North Chungcheong Province, belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Wonju. The Baegun Catholic mission chapel, established in 1965 under Namcheon-dong Parish in the Diocese of Cheongju, was transferred to Seobu-dong Parish in 1980, completed a new church building in 1989, and was elevated to a parish on January 28, 1992. Its patron is Saint Joseph.

History

[Early mission chapels in Baegun-myeon] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the first mission chapel in Baegun-myeon was established in 1894. Under Pungsuwon Parish, then the only parish in Gangwon-do, the Jirugae mission chapel in Aeryeon-ri was established and visited by Father Le Merre. The encyclopedia states that there were about 20 believers at establishment, but the number never exceeded 30 by 1897 and the chapel appears to have been abolished soon after. In 1910, the Umsil (Ueumgok) mission chapel was established in Banghak-ri, and as it belonged to Yongsomak Parish established in 1904, Father J. Guillot visited it in spring and autumn, with 27 believers at establishment. After Father P. Chizallet became the 3th pastor of Yongsomak Parish in 1914, growth became more marked, reportedly reaching 129 in 1919.

The encyclopedia continues that the Deokgol mission chapel was established in Deokdong-ri in 1918. There were already 86 believers at establishment, and the following year jurisdiction was transferred from Yongsomak Parish to Wonju (now Wondong) Parish under Father Jaugey, with believers reaching 170 in 1921, becoming the largest mission chapel in the Jecheon-gun area at the time. The encyclopedia states that it cannot be confirmed how long the Umsil and Deokgol mission chapels remained thereafter.

[Establishment of the Baegun mission chapel] A mission chapel was re-established in Baegun-myeon on December 10, 1965. This Baegun mission chapel, established under Namcheon-dong (former Jecheon) Parish in the Diocese of Cheongju, was incorporated into the Diocese of Wonju through a diocesan boundary adjustment on May 1, 1969, and on April 2, 1976 the chapel hall completed on the day of establishment was expanded. From September 1977, a movement for elevation to parish status arose among the chapel believers, taking concrete form through organizers for parish elevation and fundraising for church construction, but when Seobu-dong Parish was established in Jecheon-si on January 22, 1980, the Baegun mission chapel was transferred to Seobu-dong Parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia writes in the history of Namcheon-dong Parish that when Seobu-dong Parish was established on January 22, 1980, Yeongcheon-dong, Bongyang-myeon and Baegun-myeon under Namcheon-dong Parish were transferred to Seobu-dong Parish.

[New church construction and parish elevation] The chapel believers formally petitioned Bishop Daniel Ji Hak-sun of Wonju for parish elevation on December 5, 1982, and over several years expanded the church site and raised construction funds. Under the direction of Father Paul Park Hong-pyo of Seobu-dong Parish, new church construction began on April 1989 and was completed on November 21 of the same year (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia). The Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia writes that construction began under Father Park Hong-pyo and the blessing ceremony was held as Saint Joseph Church on November 21, 1989. Parish elevation took place on January 28, 1992, with Father Joachim Park Heung-jun appointed as first pastor. The establishment date in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea address directory is also January 28, 1992.

[After parish establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, there were 446 believers at parish establishment, decreasing slightly to 407 at the end of 1995. To ease the economic difficulties of farming families in its jurisdiction, the parish promoted sisterhood ties with city parishes, beginning direct farm-produce trade with Seongnam-dong Parish in Suwon on June 26, 1994 and with Bangbae-dong Parish in Seoul on August 21 of the same year. After Father Joseph Kim Jin-seok became the 2th pastor on February 21, 1995, this relationship continued, and on November 26, 1996 the Bangbae-dong Parish medical team provided free care at the Baegun Welfare Center in Pyeongdong-ri, benefiting more than 200 residents in Baegun-myeon, according to the encyclopedia.

[Jurisdiction] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia gives the jurisdiction at parish establishment as all of Baegun-myeon, Jecheon-si. The Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia writes that as of 2016, it covers all of Baegun-myeon and parts of Seokcheon-ri and Hapcheon-ri in Sancheok-myeon, Chungju-si, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea address directory also gives the area as Baegun-myeon, Jecheon-si, and Sancheok-myeon (Seokcheon-ri, Hapcheon-ri), Chungju-si. The Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia explains that the Baegundong Catholic Church is in a mountain village between Cheondung Mountain and Bakdal Pass in Pyeongdong-ri, Baegun-myeon, Jecheon-si.

Related Places and People

• Seobu-dong Parish (Jecheon): Established on January 22, 1980, it administered the Baegun mission chapel, and Father Park Hong-pyo, who directed the new church construction in 1989, belonged to this parish (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Namcheon-dong Parish (Jecheon): The Baegun mission chapel was established on December 1965 under Namcheon-dong (former Jecheon) Parish in the Diocese of Cheongju, and Namcheon-dong Parish lists it among newly founded or newly built mission chapels in its history (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia).
• Yongsomak Parish and Pungsuwon Parish: The parishes that administered the early mission chapels (Jirugae and Umsil) in Baegun-myeon (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Wonju (Wondong) Parish: The parish that administered the Deokgol mission chapel in 1919 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Suwon Seongnam-dong Parish and Seoul Bangbae-dong Parish: The sister parishes that began direct farm-produce trade with Baegun Parish in 1994 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Baegun Parish” (vol. 5). Date of parish elevation and patron, early mission chapels in Baegun-myeon, establishment of the Baegun mission chapel in 1965 and affiliation changes, petition for parish elevation and new church construction, sisterhood ties and medical support, early church statistics.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/2415
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia “Baegundong Catholic Church”. Blessing of Saint Joseph Church on November 21, 1989, elevation from mission chapel to parish on January 28, 1992, jurisdiction and location.
   https://jecheon.grandculture.net/jecheon/toc/GC03301380
3. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Jecheon Culture Encyclopedia “Namcheondong Catholic Church”. Transfer of Baegun-myeon to Seobu-dong Parish with the establishment of Seobu-dong Parish in 1980, founding of the Baegun mission chapel.
   https://jecheon.grandculture.net/jecheon/toc/GC03301376
4. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic address directory “Baegun”. Establishment date January 28, 1992, patron Saint Joseph, jurisdictional area.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/Catholic/DetailInfo.aspx?cgubn=c&gubn=4&gyogu=201000019&code=201000929&gubn2=all&char=all
5. Catholic Diocese of Wonju, parish “Baegun Church” (Jecheon district). Church name ‘Saint Joseph Church’.
   http://www.wjcatholic.or.kr/parish/view?ca=%EC%A0%9C%EC%B2%9C%EC%A7%80%EA%B5%AC&wm_id=36