Seongnae-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Seongnae-dong Church is a church in Seongnae-dong, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do, belonging to the Diocese of Wonju, formerly known as Samcheok Church. It began as the Samcheok Catholic mission chapel of Gangneung Parish in 1946, was elevated to a parish on October 7, 1949, and the present church building, dedicated on November 5, 1957, was designated as Registered Modern Cultural Heritage No. 141 on December 31, 2004. It is the place where the first pastor, Father Jin Yagobo (Maginn), was killed during the Korean War, and the diocese introduces this church as a major shrine and historic site.

History

〔Mission chapel and elevation to parish〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Father Gallagher, pastor of Gangneung Parish, established the “Samcheok mission chapel” (Sajeong 2-ri, Samcheok-eup) in 1946, and as believers steadily increased, Gangneung Parish purchased a private house and land in Namyang 2-ri, Samcheok-eup, and remodeled them into a church and rectory. As a result, the Samcheok mission chapel was elevated to a parish on October 7, 1949, and Father Maginn of the Missionary Society of St. Columban was appointed as the first pastor. The parish first belonged to the Diocese of Chuncheon and was transferred to the Diocese of Wonju on March 22, 1965; it separated Sajeong-ri Parish on October 5, 1966 and changed its name to “Seongnae-ri” and to “Seongnae-dong” on October 18, 1988. The Digital Samcheok Culture Encyclopedia states that it began as the Samcheok mission chapel of Gangneung Parish on October 1946 and that Samcheok Parish was established as the Samcheok Church of the Diocese of Chuncheon on October 1949.

〔Martyrdom of the first pastor〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that Father Maginn was killed by North Korean communist forces on July 1950, and that Father Burke, who became the 2 pastor the following year, laid the foundation of the parish. The Wonju Diocese introduction to shrines and historic sites explains that Father Jin Yagobo (James Maginn, 1911–1950) of the Missionary Society of St. Columban came to Korea in 1936, suffered imprisonment and internment during World War 2, served as pastor of Hongcheon Parish after liberation, took up his post at Seongnae-dong Church in 1949, and, when the Korean War broke out, refused to flee in order to guard the church, was arrested by communist forces, and was killed on the bank of the Osipcheon Stream in Samcheok on July 4, 1950. His body, temporarily buried nearby, was interred in 1951 in the clergy cemetery of Jukrim-dong Church in Chuncheon. Good News and the Wonju Diocese introduction state that he is one of the “Servant of God Bishop Francis Borgia Hong Yong-ho and 80 companions,” and Good News adds that the beatification process is underway.

〔Relocation of the church and establishment of mission chapels〕 According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, after a church (133 pyeong) and a rectory (30 pyeong) were built on the present church site purchased by Bishop Stewart, head of the Diocese of Chuncheon, the parish was moved here on November 1957. Good News records the relocation as the work of the 4 pastor, Father Connors, while the Digital Samcheok Culture Encyclopedia states that the present Seongnae-dong Church was built when Bishop Thomas officiated in 1957 during the tenure of the 3 pastor, Father Gang Dionysio, so accounts differ by source. The parish established the Geundeok mission chapel on March 10, 1956, the Dongmak mission chapel on April 1958, the Gungchon mission chapel on December 4, 1959, and the Hosan mission chapel on July 4, 1960, in that order (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

〔The 1960–1970s〕 The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the “St. Joseph Clinic” (126 pyeong) was opened on the parish grounds on November 1961, that a branch of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established on October 1963 and a new convent was built on October the following year, and that blessing ceremonies were held for the Geundeok mission chapel hall (35 pyeong) on November 1, 1963 and the Gungchon mission chapel hall (30 pyeong) on December 22, 1964 (the Digital Samcheok Culture Encyclopedia dates the convent construction to 1961). The parish pastoral council was launched in 1970, Peace Kindergarten was opened on October 1972 (closed on February 1988) and a credit union was founded in the same month. The encyclopedia states that the parish worked for local evangelization and the vitalization of small Christian communities under the goal of “an evangelizing community” and launched the “Holy Trinity Scholarship Association” to help underprivileged local students.

〔After the 50 anniversary of foundation〕 According to the Good News introduction to shrines, on October 1999, marking the 50 anniversary of the parish foundation, a martyrdom monument for Father Jin Yagobo was erected and blessed. In preparation for the 60 anniversary of the parish foundation in 2009, with support from Samcheok City, stairs connecting the front of the church to the downtown area were built and a plaza was created where the stairs meet the town; a Mass commemorating the 60 anniversary of the parish establishment was held on November 2009, a blessing ceremony for the Holy Trinity Education Center commemorating the 60 anniversary of Father Jin Yagobo’s martyrdom on June 2010, and an unveiling ceremony for the bust of Father Jin Yagobo on November 2015.

〔Church statistics and jurisdiction〕 The church statistics recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are 255 people at the time of elevation to parish, 320 people in 1953, 350 people in 1958, 819 people in 1962, 749 people in 1967, 879 people in 1971, 1,083 people in 1975, 1,125 people in 1979, 1,260 people in 1984, 1,557 people in 1988, 1,802 people in 1992, and 2,138 people in 1997. The jurisdiction covers the entire areas of Gyodong, Dowon-dong, Dangjeo-dong, Nogok-myeon, and Miro-myeon, and parts of Geundeok-myeon, Namyang-dong, and Jeongra-dong, with 1 mission chapels in Geundeok under its jurisdiction (as of the encyclopedia’s writing). The patron is the Holy Trinity.

〔Successive pastors〕 The successive pastors listed in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia are the first, Maginn Yagobo (1949.10–1950.7), the 2 pastor, Burke Patricio (1951–1954), the 3 pastor, Denis Dionysio (1954–1955.11), the 4 pastor, Connors Gavino (1955.11–1960.12), the 5 pastor, Murray Brendano (1961.1–1963.2), the 6 pastor, Clark Leo (1963.2–1966.10), the 7 pastor, Dawson Patricio (1966.10–1969.5), the 8 pastor, McSweeney Joseph (1969.5–1971.4), the 9 pastor, Orahillin Michael (1971.4–1972.5), the 10 pastor, Choe Chang-gyu Bartolomeo (1972.5–1976.4), the 11 pastor, Kelly Mortimore (1976.4–7), the 12 pastor, Grealish Lodi (1976.7–1978.5), the 13 pastor, Kennedy Olivie (1978.5–1981.9), the 14 pastor, Kim Seung-o Augustino (1981.9–1983.5), the 15 pastor, Lee Heung-geun Marco (1983.5–1987.9), the 16 pastor, No Se-hyeon Mattia (1987.9–1992.1), the 17 pastor, Lee Hak-geun Benedikdo (1992.1–1996.2), and the 18 pastor, Kim Jong-tae Andrea (1996.2–). The blank after “–” in the last entry indicates incumbency at the time of the encyclopedia’s writing.

Architecture and Space

According to the Good News introduction to shrines, the church was built on a hill with a view overlooking downtown Samcheok at a glance. Full-scale construction began on March 1957; the plans were sent by Bishop Quinlan, head of the Diocese of Chuncheon, and construction was undertaken by a Chinese Catholic named Ga, who had experience building Imdang-dong Church in Gangneung and Mukho Church. Despite many difficulties, construction was completed and the dedication ceremony was held on November 5, 1957; with a building area of 133 pyeong for the church and 30 pyeong for the rectory, it was the largest in the Diocese of Chuncheon at the time.

The Wonju Diocese introduction to shrines and historic sites explains that, unlike most churches, this church is distinctive in that one enters from the rear and goes around the church to reach the front entrance with the bell tower. The bell tower faces the town rather than serving as the church entrance, so that people can easily find the church from afar.

The “Form” entry of the Digital Samcheok Culture Encyclopedia describes this church as a modified Gothic style notable for its modest regional expression. It has 1 floors with a total floor area of 404 square meters; a tall tower stands in the center of the facade, doubling as the entrance, with cement-finished corners as a distinctive feature. This corner decoration uses the same motif on the gable and the eaves of the main building. The windows are basically elongated arched windows, with round stained-glass-style arched windows arranged at regular intervals on both side walls; on the 2 floor of the tower there is a small circular window symbolizing a rose window, and round arched windows are repeated at the top of the tower.

Regarding cultural heritage designation, Good News records designation as Registered Modern Cultural Heritage No. 141 on December 2004, while the Digital Samcheok Culture Encyclopedia records designation as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 141 on December 31, 2004, plus re-designation as National Registered Cultural Heritage by public notice of the Cultural Heritage Administration on November 19, 2021 and change to National Registered Cultural Heritage following enforcement of the “Basic Act on National Heritage” on May 17, 2024. The Culture Encyclopedia lists the owner and manager of the church as the Catholic Wonju Diocese Maintenance Foundation and dates construction to 1957. Good News explains that it was designated because it well illustrates local construction techniques of the late 1950s, and the Culture Encyclopedia evaluates it as a base for the spread of the Gospel in the Samcheok region and as a building that allows assessment of the construction technology level of the late 1950s.

Related Places and People

• Gangneung (Imdang-dong) Parish: the mother parish that established the Samcheok mission chapel and provided the church site (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Sajeong-dong Parish: the parish separated and established from Seongnae-ri (now Seongnae-dong) Parish on October 5, 1966 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Geundeok, Dongmak, Gungchon, and Hosan mission chapels: mission chapels established in turn by the parish in 1956–1960; as of the encyclopedia’s writing, there are 1 mission chapels in Geundeok under its jurisdiction (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).
• Father Jin Yagobo (James Maginn): the first pastor, killed during the Korean War on July 1950. A martyrdom monument (erected in 1999) and a bust (unveiled in 2015) have been erected (Good News).
• St. Joseph Clinic: a clinic opened on the parish grounds on November 1961 (Korean Catholic Encyclopedia).

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Seongnae-dong Parish.” Elevation from Samcheok mission chapel to parish and name changes, present church site and relocation, establishment of mission chapels, annex facilities, church statistics and 18 successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/3297
2. Catholic Good News, Shrines and Historic Sites “Seongnae-dong Church.” Parish history, church construction background and scale in 1957, cultural heritage designation, post-50 anniversary records including martyrdom monument and bust.
   https://app.catholic.or.kr/web/holyplace/?seq=2852
3. Wonju Diocese, Shrines and Historic Sites “Seongnae-dong Church.” Life and martyrdom of Father Jin Yagobo, and features of the church’s front entrance layout.
   http://www.wjcatholic.or.kr/shrine/view?ca=%EC%84%B1%EB%82%B4%EB%8F%99%EC%84%B1%EB%8B%B9
4. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Samcheok Culture Encyclopedia “Samcheok Seongnae-dong Church.” Construction and changes, architectural form, cultural heritage designation process, significance.
   https://www.grandculture.net/samcheok/toc/GC06700411