A priest of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, the first pastor of one of these rural communities in 1889, compared the Catholic Church to the early Church community in the Acts of the Apostles, saying, “Although the Catholics of the Catholic Church are poor in worldly goods, they share what little they have with one another, regardless of social status.” He expressed his admiration, saying, “Even the catechumens are following the example of their elder brothers.”
This passage demonstrates that the Catholic community, the root of the Korean Church, testified to its faith through the lived experience, which serves as a living history of the Church, carrying on that faith.
However, today, these Catholic communities are disappearing one by one. According to statistics from the Catholic Church in Korea, the number of Catholic communities decreased from 1,416 in 1993 to 989 in 2003, 791 in 2013, and finally to 702 in 2024.
The situation is particularly serious for Catholic communities in rural areas. Younger generations have migrated to the cities, and the remaining faithful are rapidly declining due to aging and death. Many Catholic communities are finding it difficult to sustain themselves. The social trend of depopulation in rural areas is accelerating the end of Catholic communities.
One of the last parishioners of a mission station that closed in 2025 after 70 years of history said, "There were still some parishioners when the parish was founded in 2023, but since then, as parishioners passed away one by one or became ill and were unable to attend, the number has dwindled to three or four." He added, "I tried to keep the parish alive, even if it was just me, but my health was too poor to sustain it any longer."
While it is difficult to reverse the massive decline in population, the Church continues its efforts to preserve parishes. Some dioceses continue to provide pastoral care for rural parishes by dispatching priests to these areas. Several parishes have also been revived through the collaboration of returning parishioners. There are also movements to preserve mission stations of significant ecclesiastical historical value and develop them into pilgrimage sites.
The memories of a Paris Foreign Missioner of the early Church in 19th-century Korean mission stations resonate with the confessions of those who maintain them today. The religious memory and community spirit preserved in these rural communities remain assets of the Church and warrant preservation.
One of the priests responsible for the mission stations in the diocese stated, "Although these rural communities and populations are declining, we must keep these stations alive." He continued, "Visiting mission stations reveals many heartwarming stories, and I discover that these stories of faith can be valuable assets for us." He emphasized the importance of these stations, saying, "It is important to reflect on the Church's memories and past history while finding a direction from the present to the future."
