Yeojwa-dong Catholic Church

Overview

Yeojoa-dong Church is a church in Yeojoa-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, belonging to the Diocese of Masan. On January 5, 1979, it was separated and established from Jungang-dong Parish, and its patron is St. Francis of Assisi. On December 1979, a church with 1 basement floor and 1 above-ground floors was completed and blessed.

History

[Purchase of the site and promotion of construction] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History, on June 1965, Jeong Sam-gyu (John), pastor of Jungang-dong Parish, had purchased 432 pyeong of land at the present church site. Later, Kim Cha-gyu (Filippo), pastor of Jungang-dong Parish, felt the need to establish a new parish here and on July 9, 1978 organized the ‘Yeojoa-dong Church Building Committee’ to promote construction. The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia records that Cho Seong-gyu (Benedict) served as chairman, the chairpersons of each church as vice-chairmen, and Ju Jun-sik (Dalchisio) as head of the construction headquarters, and on July 16, 1978 they wrote and distributed a prayer for church construction to seek the prayers and contributions of all the faithful.

[Establishment of the parish] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History, the diocese newly established Yeojoa-dong Parish on January 5, 1979 and appointed Father Cho Yeong-hui (Anania) as its first pastor. The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia states that it proclaimed the new parish on the same day, and on February 11 it separated 1,853 faithful, designating as its jurisdiction Yeojoa-dong 1, 2 and 3ga and Hyeon-dong and parts of Taebaek-dong from the administrative district of Jungang Church.

[Completion and blessing of the church] The Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History records that Father Cho Yeong-hui, without outside help and through the efforts of the parishioners alone, completed a church of 240 pyeong and held the blessing ceremony officiated by Bishop Jang Byeong-hwa (Joseph) on December 29 of that year. The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia records that the design was by Won Architecture and construction by Hanil Construction in Daegu City, and 10 months after groundbreaking, with a total construction cost of 8,500 ten thousand won, they completed in Yeojoa-dong 94-3 a church with 1 basement floor and 1 above-ground floors with a site of 274 pyeong and total floor area of 219 pyeong together with a rectory, and on December 28, 1979, the Feast of the Holy Innocent Martyrs, held the completion and dedication ceremonies. The two sources differ on the blessing date (29th and 28th) and the scale.

[Expansion of facilities] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History, in the time of the 2th pastor, Father Lee Eung-seok, on September 5, 1984 a branch of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established, and on December a building at No. 94-15 was purchased to secure land for the convent. The 4th pastor, Father Park Ju-seon, began construction of the rectory and convent on November 1988, held the blessing ceremony on March 19 of the following year, and completed the church extension work on July 1993.

[Pastoral activities] According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History, the 5th pastor, Father Shin Eun-geun, devoted attention to re-education of the faithful and opened Thursday lectures for parishioners. The 6th pastor, Father Yu Bong-ho, carried out street evangelization group activities and a 40-day chain prayer movement from 1999, 4 to May, held a Parish Day event on October 3, 1999 to mark the 20th anniversary of the parish foundation, and operated a faith counseling office from March 2000 and a mission dispatch group from April.

[Church membership and successive pastors] The membership recorded in the Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History is 2,114 in 1979, 2,208 in 1983, 2,721 in 1989, 3,000 in 1996, and 2,967 in 2000. Successive pastors are the first Cho Yeong-hui, Anania (1979.1–1982.2), the 2th Lee Eung-seok, Francisco (1982.2–1985.2), the 3th Heo Seong-hak, Abraham (1985.2–1988.9), the 4th Park Ju-seon, Antonio (1988.9–1993.8), the 5th Shin Eun-geun, Paul (1993.8–1998.1), and the 6th Yu Bong-ho, Bartholomew (1998.1–).

[Present status] According to the Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia, as of the end of May 2013, there are 2,860 faithful in 1,261 households, and the jurisdiction covers all of Yeojoa-dong and parts of Taebaek-dong. The church building has a cry room and seating for 300 faithful, with an auditorium and meeting rooms in the basement, and ancillary buildings including a rectory, convent and basement room. It records that various groups such as the Marian Association, Monica Association, Altar Society, choir, Curia and St. Vincent de Paul Society are active.

Related places and people

• Jungang-dong Church: the mother parish from which Yeojoa-dong Parish was separated (Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History, Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Research Institute of Korean Church History, Encyclopedia of Korean Catholic History “Yeojoa-dong Parish” (Vol. 9). Land purchase, establishment, blessing ceremony, facility expansion, membership, successive pastors.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/4418
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia “Yeojoa Church”. Building committee, separated districts, design and construction, completion, present status.
   https://changwon.grandculture.net/changwon/toc/GC02209069