Jinsan Catholic Shrine

Jinsan was the place where Yun Ji-chung, baptised by Yi Seung-hun in the late Joseon period, spread Catholicism to his family, and it is the site where the Sinhae Persecution of 1791, the first persecution in the history of Korean Catholicism, originated. When freedom of religion was permitted in 1887 and Catholics were able to gather again, they began holding religious meetings in the form of a gongso, a small chapel without a resident priest. A church building that began in an ordinary house was rebuilt several times, and the chapel built in 1927 has been used as a space for Mass to this day. The Korean Catholic Church has drawn even greater attention to the site as a place of pilgrimage since the two believers martyred in the Sinhae Persecution, Yun Ji-chung and Gwon Sang-yeon, were beatified during Pope Francis's visit to Korea on 16 August 2014. In terms of architectural style and main features, the church has a long east-west axis in a three-aisled basilica form, with a gabled roof and a central bell tower, giving it the typical appearance of a medium-sized church building. The timber structure is exposed both inside and out; inside, the columns supporting the upper roof of the central nave are arranged in neat rows, creating a calmer feel to the space. No clerestory windows are installed above the nave, but the roof over it is set higher than that of the side aisles, showing the basic, typical form of a basilica-style church. The lower part of the wall between the exterior columns is finished as wainscoting, while the upper part is entirely fitted with glass windows, giving the interior a bright atmosphere. Above the main entrance there was once a mezzanine said to have been used as a choir loft, but this was removed during repairs in 2004. The exterior walls were originally clapboard but were later covered with mortar, and the bell tower, also originally timber, was dismantled in 1983 and rebuilt in cement brick, with a new porch added at the same time. Originally there were separate entrances for men and women on either side, but these were later combined into a single central entrance, with the spaces on either side now used as a confessional and a preparation room.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Geumsan, Chungnam

Designation

Registered Cultural Heritage · 국가등록문화유산