Word of the Virgin Mary Sisters

About this place

The Wonju community of the Sisters of the Annunciation of the Divine Word is registered in the Guide to the Catholic Church in Korea as a women’s religious community of the Diocese of Wonju and is located at the same address as Yongsomak Catholic Church, 1857 Guhaksan-ro in Sillim-myeon. The Catholic directory also lists the Yongsomak Parish retreat house at that address and names the Sisters of the Annunciation as the religious institute responsible for it. The community is therefore not simply a convent residence; it is also connected with the retreat environment of Yongsomak Parish, giving the place the combined character of a religious house and a retreat apostolate rather than an ordinary parish institution.

The location has additional meaning because Yongsomak was the home region of Father Lawrence Seon Jong-wan, a biblical scholar and founder of the congregation. His memory and related materials are preserved at Yongsomak Catholic Church. The Wonju community can thus be understood as a place where the congregation’s spirituality centered on the Word meets the local roots of its founder. For visitors, the significance of the site lies in the way parish church, retreat space, the memory of the founder, and the life of the religious community are gathered within a single Catholic setting.