Faith Takes Root

The faith of Bukchon did not end with the Sinyu Persecution.

Building upon the faith that endured through persecution, Gahoe-dong Catholic Church was established in 1949. The first parishioners, including Jeon Gil-heon (Maria), gave generously of what they had to lay the foundations of the parish. The seed of faith sown by the martyrs grew into a living community.

A descendant of the royal family that had once persecuted Catholics also embraced the faith. In 1955, while ill, Prince Uichin Yi Kang (Pio) was baptized at the royal residence in Anguk-dong by Father Park Byeong-yun (Thomas) of Gahoe-dong Catholic Church. He expressed his desire, as a descendant, to atone for his ancestors’ persecution of Catholics. His wife, Princess Consort Uichin Kim Suk (Maria), was also baptized at Gahoe-dong Catholic Church. It was a moment when a history once divided by persecution was reconciled with its past through faith.

The Gahoe-dong community put down even deeper roots through the devotion of its faithful. Many parishioners generously devoted themselves and their property to nurturing both the church and the community. In particular, the house donated by Lee Soon-ok (Romana) provided a vital foundation for building today’s church.

The seed sown with the martyrs’ lives was nurtured through the lives and devotion of the faithful who followed and has grown to this day. That faith continues to live and breathe within the Gahoe-dong community.