Mary Queen of Peace of Jowondong - Concathedral and patron of the diocese of Suwon

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In Jowondong, north of the city of Suwon, Mary is honored as Queen of Peace. The church was conceived from the beginning to serve as a new cathedral of a rapidly growing diocese. Today it retains the rank of a cathedral and brings together every 9 July the bishop, the priests and the faithful to celebrate the diocesan patron.

A cathedral for a growing diocese

During the 1970s, the growth of the diocese of Suwon made the old cathedral of Godeung-dong insufficient for the ordinations and great celebrations. The diocesan council decided to set up a new headquarters capable of hosting a larger community.

Jowon-dong was still a developing peripheral area and did not have a previously organized mission community. The creation of the parish and the cathedral was part of the same pastoral decision.

The land offered by Susanna Cha Seong-hwa

The donation of approximately 14,390 square meters by the faithful Susanna Cha Seong-hwa made the project possible. The diocese planned the temple on that ground and Bishop Victorinus Youn Kong- hi promoted the acquisition of resources inside and outside Korea.

The contribution was not a secondary detail: it allowed an even small community to have a place designed to serve the entire diocese. The origin recalls that great ecclesial works can begin with the concrete generosity of a person.

Foundation and dedication to the Queen of Peace

The story published by Catholic Times of Korea the parish foundation on July 16, 1976. The international repertoire uses 18 November of the same year as a parish date. In the absence of the document explaining both milestones, this record retains the date provided by diocesan history and records the registration variant.

On May 18, 1977, the church was dedicated as a new cathedral under the patronage of Mary Queen of Peace. At that time the parish gathered 1,976 faithful from an extensive area still unurbanized.

Twenty years as main cathedral

For about two decades, Jowondong hosted the priestly and diaconal ordinations and numerous celebrations throughout the diocese. The parish grew with the urbanization of northern Suwon and exceeded the twelve thousand faithful in the 1990s.

New parishes were born, including Yuljeondong, Jeongjadong, Jowonsoldae and Jeongjakkonmoe. He was also a seed of priestly and religious vocations.

Por queé hoy es concatedral

In 1997 Jeongjadong was recognized as the new main cathedral of Suwon. Jowondong did not lose all his diocesan function: he was left as a concatedral, that is, he shares the cathedral service within the same diocese.

GCatholic correctly records it as an old cathedral and cathedral. This classification avoids presenting it as a unique episcopal seat at present.

The diocesan party of July 9

Queen of Peace is not only the head of the parish, but the patron of the diocese of Suwon. Every 9 July, the bishop, the assistants and the diocesan presbytery celebrate the patronal solemnity there.

In 2026 the community commemorated its fiftieth anniversary by offering an icon of the Queen of Peace, more than 57,000 moments of Eucharistic worship, more than 1.18 million tens of the Rosary, a community handwritten copy of the Bible and the parish history of its first fifty years.

A community of Eucharist and service

The parish history highlights initiatives to strengthen Eucharistic devotion, share bread and support nearby social centres. The peace held in the liturgy is thus translated into works of assistance and community responsibility.

Marian prayer is not separated from the Eucharist. Mary leads to Christ and the community learns from Him to give up life and care for the most vulnerable.

Why Mary is called Queen of Peace

Mary is Queen of Peace because she is the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and because her whole mission leads to Him. The title does not attribute a parallel power to Mary, nor does it present peace as an independent feeling of the Gospel.

St. John Paul II taught that under this patronage the greeting of the Risen One resounds: "Peace be with you." This peace is born of faith and charity and is a gift of Christ that commits to reconciliation.

Peace is not passivity

Paul VI asked to go to the Queen of Peace in times of distress, but his call did not exempt from human work for avoiding war. Prayer provides the heart to act with justice, dialogue, truth and care for the victims.

Benedict XVI recalled that the forces of violence are not invincible: God's love has the future. Invoking Mary means taking the side of good and taking responsibility for the part of the world entrusted to each person.

Prayer for the Korean peninsula

In Korea, the title has an inevitable resonance to the North and South division. The fact sheet does not give Jowondong a specific undocumented political mission, but it recognizes that the diocesan feast can legitimately welcome prayer for separate families, the security of the population and a just reconciliation.

Peace cannot be built by erasing wounds or instrumentalizing those who suffer. It requires memory, protection, truth and concrete ways of meeting.

Verified location

The directory of the Korean Episcopal Conference officially identifies the Jowondong Cathedral. The ecclesial territorial code 8Q9972V6+W2 sitúa el fence; ficha cartográfica individual afina el building afina 37.2947855, 127.0103535, coordinate used on the map.

To visit

It is an active parish and cathedral. Official hours should be consulted, especially if you want to go to the party on 9 July. During the liturgy it must be kept silent and no people or celebrations should be photographed without permission.

Prayer to Mary Queen of Peace of Jowondong

Mary, Queen of Peace, keeps the diocese of Suwon and the community of Jowondong. He receives the work of those who offered land, resources, prayer and service to raise this church. About divided families, protect victims from all violence and teach us to build a peace based on truth, justice and forgiveness. Take us to the risen Jesus Christ, who says to us, "Peace be with you." Amen.

Sources consulted

• Diocese of Suwon: official identification of the cathedral.
• Diocese of Suwon: fiftieth anniversary, patronage, icon and community offerings.
• Catholic Times of Korea: foundation, land donation, dedication, growth and diocesan feast.
• Episcopal Conference of Korea: official directory of Jowondong.
• GCatholic: Condom condition, registration chronology, jubilee and location.
• Paul VI: intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace.
• St. John Paul II: the peace of Christ under the patronage of Mary.
• Benedict XVI: responsibility and victory of love and peace.

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