E2024-G124

As Seen Through Landmarks: The Growth of Catholicism in the Mid-Twentieth Century

Narrative

Looking at Gwangju’s landmark buildings, the mid-twentieth century saw the growth of Christianity in Gwangju, especially Catholicism. Beginning with the construction of Bukdong Catholic Church in 1938, Catholicism’s local influence grew in the 1960s with the construction of Daegeon Seminary (today’s [[Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju Headquarters), including its main building, dormitories Henry Hall and Brady Hall, and cafeteria.

• Bukdong Catholic Church
  • Bukdong Catholic Church, completed in 1938, is the first Catholic church to be built in Gwangju. As local Catholic missions began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, local believers initially attended the Holy Mass at chapels-of-ease. When the Archiocese of Gwangju was established in 1937, its newly appointed provost Fr. Thomas Quinlan (1896-1970) commissioned the design and construction of this church to Brother Joseph, a Chinese lay believer with experience in Catholic church architecture. Construction began in October 1937 and was completed in June the following year. Originally a long rectangular structure, the building obtained its current L-shaped layout through an expansion in 1987. The church is built of red brick and features vertical and round windows. It has a bell tower in the front and an apse at the back. The interior can be divided into a narthex and a nave, with a sacristy and a confessional on the left side of the nave. A wooden staircase provides access to the choir loft and the bell tower. With its restrained decoration, Bukdong Catholic Church is characteristic of early 20th-century Catholic churches in Korea.
• Archdiocese of Gwangju
  • Rev. Harold W. Henry (1909-1976) arrived in Gwangju in 1933 to serve the Jeonnam region. He became head of the Archdiocese of Gwangju in 1950. In 1958, Korea’s nuncio Lamgertini saw the need for regional seminaries. This led to the establishment of Daegeon Seminary, which opened in 1961 under Rev. Henry and funded by Rev. William Brady. The school became Gwangju Catholic University in 1994 but moved to a different location shortly after in 1998. The complex has since been used as the ffice of the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju.

Story Map

• Architectural Evolution: From Traditional to Modern Gwangju
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Education in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Administration in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Growth of Catholicism in the Mid-Twentieth Century
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Boom for Higher Education in the 1950s
  • Chosun University: Symbol of Gwangju’s Mid-Century Art and Architecture
  • Traditional Homes with Foreign Influences: Yi Jang-u’s House
  • Traditional Homes with Foreign Influences: Kim Yong-hak’s House