Marian devotion
In the centre of the new curia of the diocese of Daejeon, in the administrative city of Sejong, there is a space of prayer dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. The Seongmodang was blessed in 2021 for those who came to the diocesan headquarters to first find a place of silence, intercession and encounter with Mary.
Advocation: Our Lady of Lourdes.
Local name: involvement hai · Daejeon Gyogucheong Semod.
Place: Daegon square of the diocesan curia, Bangok-dong, Sejong, South Korea.
Address: 12 Gukchaegeyeon 5-ro, Sejong.
Jurisdiction: Catholic diocese of Daejeon.
Blessing: March 26, 2021.
Patron title: Our Lady of Lourdes, chief patron of the diocese.
Official classification: Marian pilgrimage place included by the Korean Episcopal Conference.
A curia built around prayer
The diocese of Daejeon opened its new headquarters in Sejong in 2021. The architectural layout embraces the Daegon Square and gives the Seongmodang a central position. The project expresses that the ecclesial administration must be born from prayer and remain at the service of communion.
On March 26, 2021, then Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik presided over the blessing. He explained that that place should help ask for Mary's intercession, learn from her life and allow her to occupy a central place in the existence of the faithful.
Our Lady of Lourdes, a diocesan patron
The chapel is dedicated to "the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes," the first patron of the diocese of Daejeon. This link is not only ornamental: it integrates the Lourdes tradition - prayer, conversion, penance and care of the sick - into the spiritual identity of the local Church.
The representation of the whole recalls Lourdes's message and at the same time incorporates features of Korean Catholic history. The diocese wanted artistic language to unite universal devotion to Mary with the testimony of the Christians of Naepo, many of them persecuted and martyred.
El altar yn Andrés Kim Taegon
The central altar takes the form of a traditional bowl of the Joseon era. In him is preserved a relic of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean priest. Two angels respectively hold a palm, a sign of martyrdom, and a branch of pine, associated with the saint.
This presence links Mary with the missionary and martyrdom vocation of Korea. As in Cana, she points to Christ; as at the foot of the cross, she accompanies the disciples who remain faithful. The relic does not move the Marian dedication, but it shows one of its fruits.
A living place of pilgrimage
Since its opening, the Seongmodang has been hosting flower and candle offerings, diocesan celebrations and personal prayer. In 2022 the full headquarters was solemnly dedicated, confirming the purpose of Catholic and non-Catholic visitors to perceive the curia as also a house of prayer.
The Episcopal Conference includes it in its national relationship with the name "Seongmodang pilgrimage place of the Daejeon curia." Therefore, it is not simply a statue placed in an office: it has a recognized pilgrim identity within the Korean pastoral organization.
Spirituality of Lourdes in Sejong
Lourdes invites us to return to the simplicity of the Gospel: persevering prayer, sincere conversion and closeness to the weak. In a city characterized by public institutions and administrative activity, the sanctuary offers a pause that recalls the primacy of God and the dignity of each person.
Mary teaches how to transform responsibility into service. Those who come for a management, a meeting or a celebration can entrust their decisions there and ask that ecclesial work never lose its evangelical center.
Verified location
The Episcopal Conference publishes the direction of the curia: 12 Gukchaegyeonguwon 5-ro, Sejong. The mapping of OpenStreetMap delimits the diocesan complex using the polygon 1032465084. The marker 36.4918767, 127.3070570 (WGS-84) is fixed in the center of the curia and its square, not in a generic point of the city.
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes of Sejong
Our Lady of Lourdes, patron of the diocese of Daejeon, welcomes those who come to this place of prayer. Show us the humility of Nazareth, the listening of Cana and the fidelity of Calvary. It comforts the sick, guides those who serve the Church and makes every decision seek truth, justice and charity. It leads Korea to Christ, a source of reconciliation and peace. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Episcopal Conference of Korea: official classification and direction of the pilgrimage site.
- Catholic Times of Korea: Blessing, dedication to Lourdes, art and pastoral meaning.
- Catholic Times of Korea: dedication of the curia, square, Seongmodang and relic.
- Diocese of Daejeon: contemporary devotional use of the Seongmodang.
- OpenStreetMap: Cartographic delimitation of the diocesan curia.
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