Okbong Catholic Church, Jinju

This church began in 1911 as the Okbong branch chapel (gongso) of Munsan Catholic Church in Jinju, and played an important role in the history of Catholicism in the Jinju region. The church is laid out symmetrically around a tall bell tower that projects from the façade. At the time of its construction it had a simple rectangular plan with a bell tower and a chapel, but as the congregation grew it was extended on several occasions, with a sacristy and other rooms added, giving the building its present appearance. In 1923 a building was newly erected to serve as the foundation of the present main building of Okbong Catholic Church (presumed from photographic records to have been a Japanese-style wooden structure), and it was completed on 26 November of that year. On 8 November 1931 a bell tower was added to the wooden main building, and a ceremony was held to consecrate the church bell. In 1932 Fr Kim Gye-ryong (Peter) was appointed to the parish and purchased 119 pyeong (a traditional Korean unit of area, about 3.3 square metres each) of land adjoining the church, on which the present church building, a red-brick structure of about 50 pyeong, was newly built; the main building was completed in September 1933. In 1952 the main building, damaged during the Korean War, was fully repaired, extended by about 40 pyeong beyond its original size, and given general repair works. In November 1967 Fr Park Jeong-il extended the main building by about 30 pyeong and installed a catechism room in the basement, and the interior of the main building was remodelled into its present form at the same time. Fr Jeong Deok-beom, who was appointed in January 1979, completed the roof works on the extended main building. In 1991 a concrete staircase was built facing the entrance of the present main building.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jinju, Gyeongnam

Designation

Registered Cultural Heritage · 국가등록문화유산