Gyeongdong Cathedral, the place where Korea's first Legion Mariae began [Information on cultural properties] Type Mokpo City Cultural Heritage No. 22 Location: 33 Haean-ro 165beon-gil, Mokpo-si Designated date, May 21, 2021 Gyeongdong Cathedral, a Catholic church belonging to the Gwangju Archdiocese, was constructed in 1952 and built in 1954 with the support of the Seonggolumban Outer Line Church in Ireland for missionary work on islands in Sinan-gun. On April 9, 1952, it was separated from the main hall of Sanjeong-dong, and the first bride was Father Kim Seong-hwan, Big Dorio, and Father Harold Henry, the administrator of the Gwangju Diocese, planned to establish a new main hall on the coast of Mokpo and launched a fundraising campaign in the United States. On November 7, 1952, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the cathedral and the priest's hall was held, and on May 5, 1955, the construction ceremony of the cathedral was held. In addition, on March 31, 1953, the first Korean church introduced Legio Mariae, and organized the "Sinner's Table" and "Presidium", and its members actively conducted visits to believers' homes and missionary activities from then on. Gyeongdong Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Mokpo and is located in the center of coastal ports. It was designated as National Registered Cultural Property No. 764 in December 2019 as it contributes to the local community through social welfare, religion, and educational activities. In front of the main hall, there is a monument to the introduction of Legio Mariae, which reads, "This monument is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first Legio in Korea" (November 9, 2003), and opposite it is a statue of Father Andrea Kim Dae-gun, the first priest in Korea. Nearby, there are 2 Modern History Hall (formerly Mokpo Branch, Dongyang Cheoksik Co., Ltd.) and Gyeongdong Cathedral is one of the main modern buildings where you can look at modern history, and it is spotlighted as one of the Catholic pilgrimage courses in the southwest along with the birthplace of Sanjeong-dong Cathedral. About the Legion Mariae! Korea's Legio Mariae was founded by Frank Duff on September 7, 1921 in Dublin, Ireland, and introduced the church on March 31, 1953 to perform apostolic acts. Here, he organized a Pledisium (a gathering of 8 to 12 members of the Legio Activities Unit) called "The Righteousness of Sinners" to actively visit the families of believers and conduct missionary activities. Since then, national activities have begun through Sanjeong-dong Cathedral (currently the Mokpo Legion Marie Memorial Hall). To learn more about the history and meaning of Legion Marie, I recommend you to visit the 100th anniversary hall of Sanjeong-dong Cathedral (currently the Legion Marie Memorial Hall). ▶ Closed days: - ▶ Usage fee: Free ▶ Parking facilities: No parking lot ▶ Facilities for the disabled: None