Our Lady of the Perpetual Jangnyang Relief - Consuelo and reconstruction in Pohang

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In the north of Pohang, a relatively young parish invokes Mary as Our Lady of Perpetual Help. His history acquired an unexpected depth in 2017, when an earthquake damaged the temple and the community had to unite prayer, prudence and reconstruction.

An episcopally documented advocation

The directory of the Korean Episcopal Conference records The Holy SpiritOur Lady of Perpetual Relief, as patron of Jangnyang. The same source identifies date, address, jurisdiction and territory.

Invocation has not been attributed from an artistic likeness. It is the official dedication of the parish.

An icon that points the way

The advocation is closely linked to an icon of Byzantine tradition. Mary holds the Child Jesus and directs her look to the one who looks at the image. The archangels Michael and Gabriel show the instruments of the Passion.

The icon belongs to the type of Mother who shows the way: Mary does not present herself as the ultimate destination, but leads to Christ.

The Child and the signs of the Passion

Jesus appears turned to the angels and refugee in the arms of his Mother. A sandal is loose, detail that expresses movement, vulnerability and urgency.

The image does not promise a life without fear. It shows that Mary's help is to accompany the Redeemer even when the Cross appears on the horizon.

Between documented history and tradition

The exact origin of the icon is not known with certainty. The studies place it within the Eastern artistic tradition and probably relate its provenance to Crete. The wood was dated between the 14th and 15th centuries, although the painting presents later interventions.

The accounts of his transfer to Rome contain elements transmitted as a tradition. It is important to distinguish these devotional accounts from the facts verified by documentation and material analysis.

The task of spreading devotion

In the 19th century, the icon was entrusted to the Redemptorists and returned to public veneration in the church of San Alfonso in Rome. The congregation was commissioned to make it known to the world.

The copies spread by missionaries and communities made Our Lady of Perpetual Relief one of the most recognizable Marian images of the Catholic Church.

Help belongs to God

The title does not present Mary as an independent source of salvation. Christ is the only Redeemer; Mary intercedes, accompanies and leads to him.

Pope Francis reminded the Redemptorists that the Mother of Perpetual Relief accompanied her Son at the foot of the Cross. His help is maternal and always christocentric.

Foundation in a growing urban area

Jannyang fue erigida el 28 June 2002 to attend several northern areas of Pohang. Residential expansion made it necessary to bring sacramental and community life closer to new families.

Its territory brings together urban areas near the coast and sectors of Heunghae, which explains the direct relationship of the parish with the area affected years later by the earthquake.

Ten years of community

In 2012 the parish celebrated its tenth anniversary with a mass presided over by the Archbishop of Daegu. Eighty-five people received confirmation during that celebration.

The community also presented a book with its first ten years and recognized the service of parishioners who had helped to consolidate it. This memory shows that the parish was not already finished: it was built through shared responsibilities.

Family life training

In 2013, the parish centre hosted an edition of the School of Mothers Mary, a diocesan initiative of several weeks aimed at strengthening family relations, spiritual life and social participation.

A responsible family proposal should not only burden the well-being of the home on women. Parents, community and institutions share the obligation to care, educate and prevent violence.

The 2017 Pohang earthquake

On 15 November 2017 an earthquake of magnitude 5.4 affected Pohang and its surroundings. Jangnyang was inside the area that suffered significant damage.

The temple was not free: the upper cross doubled, the outer lining of the bell tower was damaged and part of the inner brick walls next to the presbytery windows collapsed.

Inspect before return

The damage led to work on the inside. The archbishop's visit to the parish and other institutions in the area was aimed at checking the situation and accompanying the people concerned.

After an earthquake, prudence is part of pastoral care: one must not enter a building until competent technicians evaluate structure, facilities and risk of detachment.

Faith does not eliminate security

Invoking Our Lady of Perpetual Relief does not replace emergency plans, anti-seismic standards, insurance or coordination with civil protection. Prayer sustains people to act with serenity and responsibility.

To present the survival of a building as proof of greater faith would be unfair to those who lost homes or loved ones.

Rebuilding links as well

A disaster hurts more than walls. It can leave fear, displacement, economic loss and prolonged tiredness. A parish can offer listening, safe spaces, material help and accompaniment of mourning.

The "perpetual relief" becomes visible when the community remains after the initial attention disappears.

Mary with those who tremble

In the icon, the Child seeks the arms of his Mother in the face of signs of suffering. That image can accompany those who experience fear without embarrassment for feeling it.

Christian trust does not consist in denying the tremor of the body. It is to know that fear can be shared and passed through with help, faith and prudent decisions.

Continuing adult training

In 2018, shortly after the earthquake, the parish announced a school of faith with monthly meetings on the Church. The initiative shows the need to rebuild understanding, community and hope.

Training helps to distinguish doctrine, devotion, tradition and rumor, a particularly important task around very popular Marian images.

Enabling education for children and young people

In 2023, TeenSTAR's educational activities were documented in the parish for children and adolescents. These programs seek to accompany the knowledge of the body, affectivity and responsibility.

All work with minors must ensure trained teachers, age-appropriate content, informed participation of families and strong protection protocols.

Pohang, industrial and maritime city

Pohang is a coastal city marked by the steel industry, ports, fishing and expanding residential neighborhoods. Jangnyang is located in the northern district, near specially transformed areas in recent decades.

The parish serves families with different working, school and urban rhythms. The Perpetual Relief invites you to recognize needs that are not always visible from the outside.

verified location for the map

La Conferencia Episcopal sitúa la iglesia en 32 Beobwon-ro 97beon-gil, Jang-n-nong, Buk-gu, Pohang. Cartography by the Korean name and the city returns 36.0838218, 129.3818499, on the parish compound.

The marker has not been located in the centre of the large administrative district of Jangnyang or in Heunghae, where the epicenter of the earthquake was.

No confundir Jangnyang con Jangseong

The parish is called Jangnyang, but its postal address is located in Jangseong-dong. Jangnyang also designates a wider administrative sector of Pohang.

The combination of official name, episcopal direction, parish code and coordinates eliminates ambiguity.

To visit and pray

Jangnyang is an active parish. The schedules can be changed and must be confirmed before travelling. The liturgy must be respected and permission requested before photographing people or spaces in use.

A dozen can be offered for earthquake victims, one for those who rebuild homes and temples, and another for families, children and Pohang workers.

Prayer to Our Lady of the Perpetual Help of Jangnyang

Mother of the Perpetual Relief, guard the parish of Jangnyang and the city of Pohang. It embraces those who are afraid, accompanies those who have lost their homes and strengthens those who rebuild with patience. Take us always to Jesus Christ, teach us to ask for help without shame and to offer it without rest. Amen.

Sources consulted

• Episcopal Conference of Korea: patronage and official record.
• Mobile Episcopal Directory: direction, foundation and territory.
• Kyungbuk Maeil: décimo aniversario parroquial.
• Archdiocese of Daegu: visit and damage to the 2017 earthquake.
• Maeil Shinmun: corroboration of damage in temple and bell tower.
• Kyungbuk Mail: Foración's familiar cleelbrada en Jannyang.
• Redemptorists: documented history and icon tradition.
• Redemptorists: Theology and Icon Symbols.
• Pope Francis: Our Lady of Perpetual Relief and Redemptorists.
• Mapping verified by name and city.

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