Wondong Cathedral

Overview

Wondong Cathedral in Wondong, Wonju, Gangwon-do is the cathedral parish of the Diocese of Wonju. Originating as the Wonju parish newly separated and established from the Pungsuwon parish August 17, 1896, it was renamed ‘Wondong’ June 1, 1957 and became a cathedral June 1965. The present church building, rebuilt in 1954, was registered December 31, 2004 as Modern Cultural Heritage Registered Cultural Heritage No. 139, and is listed on the National Heritage Digital Service as a National Registered Cultural Heritage.

History

[Establishment] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, as Father Bu I-yong of the Bueonggol parish in 1895 planned to move the parish to Janghowon and the distance from Pungsuwon would become great, he consulted with Father Le Mer of the Pungsuwon parish and agreed to establish a parish in Wonju. In 1896 Father Le Mer purchased 350 pyeong of land and a 16-kan tile-roofed house at Sangdong-ri, Wonju-eup, now the site of the Catholic Center, and later that year August 17 entrusted the Pungsuwon parish to Father Jeong Gyu-ha, Augustino, and took office as the first pastor of the Wonju, now Wondong Cathedral, parish. At the time of establishment there were 20 mission chapels under its jurisdiction and 1,137 faithful. There were only a few believers in downtown Wonju and most faithful were in the mission chapels, so Father Le Mer ministered mainly by touring the mission chapels, and a tour usually took a month. The National Heritage Digital Service also records that the church was built when the first Father Le Mer took office August 17, 1896.

[1900s–1930s] The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that the 2th pastor, Father Rigulo, tried to move the parish to the countryside because of the hostile attitude of the Wonju county magistrate and the lack of converts in the town, but died of typhoid March 1900. When believers increased under the 3th pastor, Father Debreu, and the church became too small, in 1902 he purchased twelve houses near the rectory and 2,000 pyeong of land, securing today’s church site, and April 1904 raised the Yongsomak mission chapel to a parish by separation. The 4rd pastor, Father Sizale, stockpiled timber for a new church but returned to the seminary August 1908. The 5th pastor, Father Jose, opened a night school in a church annex, but it was closed by the Japanese authorities with the Japanese annexation of Korea August 22, 1910, and in 1913 completed a Gothic church with a building area of 70 pyeong and celebrated its blessing presided over by Bishop Mutel. The next year Father Jose returned home August to serve in World War 1, then returned to the parish October 1919 and was transferred March 1923 as priest of Cheonggyeong-ri in the Diocese of Seoul. The Korean priest, the 9th pastor Father Jeong Gyu-ryang, raised the Hoengseong mission chapel to a parish by separation March 1930, purchased forest land in Bongsan-dong January 1931 and December 1936 to create a church cemetery, and in 1931 founded Sohwa Academy, a 4-year training school, and in 1934 founded Sohwa Kindergarten and in the same year September arranged a branch convent of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. Sohwa Academy was closed in 1937 under Japanese oppression, and Father Jeong Gyu-ryang organized a Catholic youth association December 24, 1937 and founded the Munmak mission chapel in 1938.

[1939–1950] April 1939, as the Diocese of Chuncheon was separated and established from the Diocese of Seoul, pastoral care of this area was entrusted to the Columban Mission Society, and Father Vernon took office July 1939 as the 11th pastor but December 1941 was imprisoned by the Japanese and deported to the United States, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia. Then Fathers Kim Gyo-myeong and Park Il-gyu of the Diocese of Seoul served as the 12st and 13nd pastors. Father Park Il-gyu tried in 1941 to erect a tombstone for Father Choe Yang-eop but was blocked by the Japanese police, and held the unveiling ceremony September 1945 after liberation, and when Japanese soldiers tried to take the church bell he blocked the church door to stop them. After liberation, Father Deary of the Columban Mission Society took office as the 14th pastor.

[6–25 War and Reconstruction] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the Good News introduction to holy places, soon after Father Deary took office as the 17nd pastor, the 6–25 War broke out and the church and Sohwa Kindergarten, founded in 1934, were completely burned. The Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres withdrew their branch convent September 1950. Father Deary, who had evacuated to Busan and then gone to his home country, returned October 1951, gathered burnt bricks to build a small chapel, a warehouse and a rectory, and 3 months later completed a 50-pyeong church and held its blessing with some 300 faithful. September 1954, he completed a cement-brick church on a scale of 120 pyeong, and that year October its blessing was celebrated presided over by Diocesan Bishop Quinlan. In the autumn of 1952, Father Deary built and blessed the Hurisa mission chapel hall, 31 pyeong, on land of 121 pyeong donated by Jo Sang-jun, Bernardo, in 1953 closed the Saje-ri mission chapel to merge it into the Daean-ri mission chapel and founded the Maeji-ri mission chapel, and March 1954 separated the Daean-ri mission chapel to found the Sulmi mission chapel and later that year founded the Heungeop mission chapel. The encyclopedia states that through these activities, by the end of 1954, the Wondong parish had the strongest church strength among 16 parishes in Gangwon-do.

[Division of the Parish and Cathedral] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, the 18th pastor Father Yang Dae-seok took office February 1955 and purchased 877 pyeong at 872 Hakseong-dong as the site for the Hakseong-dong church, and March 1956 first introduced the Legion of Mary to the Wonju parish, founding the ‘Mother of Divine Grace’ praesidium. The encyclopedia gives inconsistent year notation for when the parish name was changed from Wonju to Wondong, stating in the overview that it was when the Hakseong-dong parish was divided June 1, 1957, and in the main account that it was when the Hakseong-dong parish was separated and established June in 1956. It separated and established the Dangu-dong parish December 1960, and arranged a branch convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help October 1963. March 1965, as the Diocese of Wonju was separated and established from the Diocese of Chuncheon, the Wondong parish came to belong to the Diocese of Wonju, and that year June it became a cathedral, so that all ceremonies presided over by the diocesan bishop were celebrated at the Wondong parish. February 1966, it published the first parish bulletin, which is said to have become the foundation of today’s diocesan bulletin ‘Deulbit.’

[1960s–1970s] The 19th pastor Father Choe Chang-gyu changed Latin parish registers and sacramental ledgers into Korean and altered the church interior to change the Mass facing the altar into a Mass facing the faithful, and during his term November founded the Wonju Credit Cooperative with capital of 64,100 won contributed by 35 parishioners, and February 1967 re-arranged a branch convent of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres and received authorization for Sohwa Kindergarten, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia. The 20th pastor was Father Ji Hak-sun, Daniel, from 1969.5 to 11, and under the 21nd pastor Father Lee Hak-geun, January 1970 the Maeji-ri mission chapel was transferred to the Dangu-dong parish and the Geumdae-ri mission chapel was closed. Under the 22rd pastor Father Lee Yeong-seop, May 1972 the Bongsan-dong parish and April 1976 the Ilsan-dong parish were separated and established.

[Center of the Democratization Movement] According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the Good News introduction to holy places, from October 5, 1971 to the 7th a rally denouncing corruption in the Diocese of Wonju triggered by irregularities at Wonju Munhwa Broadcasting was held at the Wondong parish, and after the arrest of Bishop Ji Hak-sun July 6, 1974, the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice was formed and held its first prayer meeting here, so that many prayer meetings related to current affairs were held here, making it a center of the democratization movement in the 1970s. The National Heritage Digital Service explains that it is the place where Bishop Ji Hak-sun, who made a mark in the democratization movement under the Yusin regime, issued the ‘Wonju Declaration.’ The 25th pastor Father An Seung-gil newly created the ‘Bell Sound’ column in the bulletin March 1984 to carry parish news and articles on social and current issues.

[Late 1980s–Early 2000s] The 26nd pastor Father Lee Gyu-yeong published the inaugural issue of ‘Wondong Family’ March 1989 and held the groundbreaking ceremony July for a 5-story ‘100th Anniversary of Parish Foundation Memorial Education Center’ with a total floor area of 600 pyeong, and this education center was blessed August 1990 in the presence of Bishop Ji Hak-sun. The 28th pastor Father Park Mu-hak was appointed head of Wonju District 1 when the Wonju District was divided into District 1 and District 2 May 1995, and in the same year repaired the church, convent and education center from July and formed a committee for compiling the 100-year history of the parish October. October 1996, a Mass commemorating the 100st anniversary of the parish foundation was offered, concelebrated by Diocesan Bishop Kim Ji-seok, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Blaitis, Columban priests and diocesan priests, and February 1998 the Gugok parish was separated and established, and January 1999 the ‘Hundred-Year History of Wondong’ was published. The 29nd pastor Father Kim Yong-seong separated Heungeop-myeon, far from the parish, as an autonomous district July 2001 and repaired and blessed the Sulmi mission chapel hall September.

[Registration as Cultural Heritage and Repairs] The Good News introduction to holy places states that Wondong Church was designated December 31, 2004 as Modern Cultural Heritage Registered Cultural Heritage No. 139 in recognition of the uniqueness of its domed bell tower, its good state of preservation, and its connection with the democratization movement of the 1970s, and that in 2016, marking the 120th anniversary of the parish foundation, interior and exterior restoration work was carried out with support from the Cultural Heritage Administration and Wonju City. The chronology of the National Heritage Digital Service records church repairs in 2011 and 2011–2012, a special comprehensive cultural heritage inspection in 2014, rated good, restoration of the interior floor to its original form in 2015, and comprehensive repairs in 2018.

[Church Strength and Successive Pastors] The church strength recorded in the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia is 1,137 in 1896, 1,678 in 1903, 1,345 in 1913, 1,268 in 1923, 1,193 in 1937, 1,659 in 1947, 2,842 in 1957, 3,206 in 1967, 3,001 in 1977, 3,221 in 1987, 5,136 in 1996, 4,174 in 2000, and the mission chapels under its jurisdiction are 3 places: Daean-ri, Sulmi and Gwirae. The successive pastors are the first Father Le Mer, Ludovico, from 1896.8 to 1898.6, 2st Father Rigulo, Antonio, from 1898.6 to 1900.3, 3th Father Debreu, Emilio, from 1900.5 to 1906.8, 4th Father Sizale, Peter, from 1906.8 to 1908.8, 5th Father Jose, Joseph, from 1909.1 to 1914.8, 6rd Father Sizale from 1914.8 to 1919.8, 7th Father Jose from 1919.8 to 1923.3, acting Father Lee Bo-hwan, Joseph, from 1923.3 to 6, 8st Father Poli, Desiderato, from 1923.6 to 1928.5, 9th Father Jeong Gyu-ryang, Leo, from 1928.5 to 1938.10, 10th Father Yu Yeong-geun, John, from 1939.1 to 7, 11th Father Vernon, Patricio, from 1939.7 to 1941.12, 12rd Father Kim Gyo-myeong, Benedicto, from 1941.12 to 1942.1, 13th Father Park Il-gyu, Andrea, from 1942.2 to 1945.11, 14th Father Deary, Patricio, from 1945.11 to 1948.1, 15th Father Reilly, Patricio, from 1948.1 to 1949.8, 16th Father Comerford, Thomas, from 1949.8 to 1950.6, 17th Father Deary from 1950.6 to 1955.2, 18st Father Yang Dae-seok, Aloysio, from 1955.2 to 1966.10, 19th Father Choe Chang-gyu, Bartolomeo, from 1966.10 to 1969.5, 20th Father Ji Hak-sun, Daniel, from 1969.5 to 11, 21th Father Lee Hak-geun, Benedicto, from 1969.11 to 1971.4, 22rd Father Lee Yeong-seop, Francisco, from 1971.4 to 1976.4, 23th Father Choe Gi-sik, Benedicto, from 1976.4 to 1979.3, 24th Father Kim Ji-seok, James, from 1979.3 to 1983.5, 25nd Father An Seung-gil, Roberto, from 1983.5 to 1987.9, 26th Father Lee Gyu-yeong, Marco, from 1987.9 to 1991.1, 27th Father Lee Heung-geun, Marco, from 1991.1 to 1995.2, 28st Father Park Mu-hak, John, from 1995.2 to 1999.2, and 29th Father Kim Yong-seong, Thaddeus, from 1999.2 onward. The blank after ‘–’ in the last entry means he was in office at the time of the encyclopedia’s writing.

Architecture and Space

According to the National Heritage Digital Service, Wonju Wondong Church is a building erected in 1954 with 1 buildings of 1 stories and a building area of 689.25 square meters, owned by the Foundation for the Maintenance of the Diocese of Wonju. It has a rectangular plan, very long relative to its width, and the upper part of the central bell tower on the front is domed. It explains that the exterior walls are finished with artificial stone wash and joints to look like masonry, and the original form at the time of construction is well preserved. The same description evaluates it as rare among post-war restored church buildings for its high formal completeness.

The construction background is recorded by the National Heritage Digital Service as follows: in late 1953 a Chinese man surnamed Ga drew up the basic design and construction plan, and in 1954 it was built through the parishioners’ rice-offering campaign and voluntary labor. The photo caption in the Good News introduction to holy places presents the interior as a pillarless hall-type space.

Additions and repairs are recorded by the National Heritage Digital Service as the addition of a 1-story convent and 2-story auditorium, catechism room, May 20, 1976, construction of a church of 273 square meters, tile-roofed brick, cement, brick and slab, June 29, 1985, and construction and addition of 5-story buildings on the same lot in 1990–1991. The chronology also lists interior work in 1967, replacement of the sanctuary floor, relocation of the confessional, provision of pews with kneelers, installation of a large cross and more, and repair of the rectory and rebuilding of the convent, replacement of the congregation’s wooden floor with artificial marble in 1984, and installation of a public reparation box, also serving as an alms box, in front of the confessional in 1995.

Related Places and Figures

• Pungsuwon Church: the mother parish from which the Wonju parish was separated in 1896, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and Good News.
• Yongsomak Church, Hoengseong Church and Munmak Church: the Yongsomak mission chapel was raised to a parish by separation April 1904, the Hoengseong mission chapel was raised to a parish by separation March 1930, and the Munmak mission chapel was founded in 1938, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Hakseong-dong, Dangu-dong, Bongsan-dong, Ilsan-dong and Gugok parishes: parishes separated and established from the Wondong parish, with Hakseong-dong on June 1956, in the main account of the encyclopedia, or June 1, 1957, in the overview of the encyclopedia, Dangu-dong on December 1960, Bongsan-dong on May 1972, Ilsan-dong on April 1976, and Gugok on February 1998, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Daean-ri, Sulmi and Gwirae mission chapels: the mission chapels under the Wondong parish at the time of the encyclopedia’s writing, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Bishop Ji Hak-sun, Daniel: served as the 20th pastor from May 1969 to November, and after his arrest in 1974 current-affairs prayer meetings continued at the parish, and the National Heritage Digital Service describes it as the place of the ‘Wonju Declaration.’
• Father Le Mer, Ludovico: the priest who took office August 1896 as the first pastor of the Wonju parish, according to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia and the National Heritage Digital Service. The Wonju Diocese’s introduction to the diocese lists Wondong Cathedral together with Baeron Shrine, Pungsuwon Church, Yongsomak Church, Gangwon Gamyeong and others as major holy places and historic sites in the diocese.

References and Sources

1. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, “Wondong Cathedral Parish.” Establishment background in 1896, separation of mission chapels and parishes, church construction in 1913 and 1954, damage and reconstruction in the 6–25 War, designation as cathedral, democratization movement, church strength and 29 successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4801
2. Catholic Good News, Holy Places and Historic Sites “Wondong Cathedral.” Establishment, church construction, damage in the 6–25 War, democratization movement, 100th anniversary, cultural heritage registration and restoration work for the 120th anniversary, and description of interior photos.
   https://app.catholic.or.kr/web/holyplace/?seq=2838
3. National Heritage Administration, National Heritage Digital Service “Wonju Wondong Church.” Overview as National Registered Cultural Heritage, construction in 1954 and design background, architectural features and chronology of additions and repairs.
   https://digital.khs.go.kr/heri/heriDetail.do?ctptNo=4413201390000&ctptUid=13898859680822301284
4. Diocese of Wonju, Introduction to the Diocese. Establishment and jurisdiction of the Diocese of Wonju, and major holy places and historic sites including Wondong Cathedral.
   http://www.wjcatholic.or.kr/company/aboutus