Gongseri Catholic Church
By Choe Chong-dae
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It is worthy of note that, contrary to other nations, the initial seeds of the Catholic faith were brought to Korea and developed by Koreans themselves before the arrival of foreign missionaries. Catholic texts were translated into Chinese and studied by Koreans.
Despite a century of persecution, Korean Catholicism is deeply rooted, with an increasing number of believers. The prodigious growth of Korean Catholicism today is indebted to the thousands of martyrs who shed their blood for it. It is evident that they devoted themselves greatly to the modernization of Korean society by introducing significant aspects of Western culture, education, medical technology and democracy.
Out of all the many Catholic churches I have visited in Korea, the Gongseri Catholic shrine in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, is most inspiring. Nestled on a hill, Gongseri Catholic Church overlooks the Asan Bay Breakwater running between Asan Bay and Pyeongtaek Lake. Along with the beautiful, exotic architecture, its romantic scenery surrounded by trees is also graced by a legally protected 330-year-old hackberry tree.
This 13-decades-old church built in 1890 is designated as Cultural Heritage No.144 of South Chungcheong Province and has played a significant role as a starting point of the Korean Catholic church and its religious beliefs. The shrine is famously known for the 32 martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Sinyu and Byeongin persecution periods in 1801 and 1873.
It was first built by the French missionary priest Pasquier, in 1890. Five years later, another French missionary priest, Emilius Devise, rebuilt the church at its current location. Gongseri Catholic Church sits on a historical site that was used for over three centuries as a storage warehouse for collecting grain paid as tax, from the ninth year of King Seongjong (1478) to the 38th year of King Yeongjo (1762) during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom.
Blessed by its unique scenery, Gongseri Catholic Church with its fusion of Gothic and Byzantine architectural styles has been the setting for about 70 movies and TV dramas, such as “Taegukgi,” “Love and Ambition” and “You're Handsome.”
Irrespective of faith and philosophy, a great number of people continue to visit to enjoy the holy scenery which changes with the four seasons.
Gongseri Catholic Church is a special place for Koreans, because a salve known in Korea as “Lee-Myung-rae salve” was originally created here by a priest named Emilius Devise. He developed a special formula for the salve, which was distributed to Koreans free of charge. Devise handed down his extraordinary method of making the salve to Lee Myung-rae (John 1890-1952), who had been helping him at the church. Whether people had a stomachache, eye infection or any other disease, they visited Gongseri Catholic Church to consult the French priests. This salve was later distributed all over the nation, thus making the church the source of the salve. The translation of the name for this black ointment provides an interesting insight. Though goyak (which means "wretched" in Korean) does not have a pleasant smell to many, it was highly regarded as the most effective ointment for skin diseases, particularly for healing abscesses.
This medication dispensed on a paper patch miraculously cured people up to the 1980s. Coincidentally, Lee was a brother of my wife's maternal grandfather.
As I stood in front of the shrine on my recent visit, I felt as if I shared the spirit of the martyrs who shed their blood for Korean Catholicism.
Transcending faith, Gongseri Catholic Church is an absolute gem that deserves a visit.
Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.