A. Catholic Population
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According to the 2005 government census, as of November 2005, Masan diocese had about 137,000 Catholics, accounting for about 6 percent of all 2,290,000 people in the territory.
There were about 191,000 Protestants, about 922,000 Buddhists, about 24,000 people with other religious affiliations, and about 1 million people professing no religion. However, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, as of the end of 2005, Masan diocese had 153,357 Catholics, or 6.3 percent of all 2,444,690 people in the region. The diocese had 67 parishes with resident priests and 66 mission stations. In 2005, the diocese recorded 3,748 baptisms.
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People in the Diocese
Catholics: 137,385, or 6 percent
Members of other Christian denominations: 191,384, or 8.4 percent
Followers of other religions (Buddhism, Won Buddhism
and others): 953,702, or 41.6 percent
People without religions: 1,008,133, or 44
percent
(Surveyed by the National Statistics Office)
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B. Diocesan and Religious Priests
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Diocesan priests: 138 (all Koreans)
Religious Priests: 17 (15 Koreans, 2 foreigners)
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C. Religious Brothers , Sisters
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Religious Brothers: 21 (all Koreans)
Religious Sisters: 295 (288 Koreans, 7 foreigners)
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D. Deacons
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Transitional: 3
Permanent: 0
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E. Lay Missionaries, Catechists
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Lay missionaries: 3
Catechists: 19 full-time Sunday school teachers
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F. Minor and Major Seminary, seminarians
Diocesan Activities and Organizations
A. Major Diocesan Commissions and Organizations
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Committee for Promoting Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue
Committee for Social Communications
Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People
Committee for Social Welfare
Committee for Justice and Peace
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B. Catholic Educational Institutions
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Schools |
Students |
| Kindergarten |
10 |
989 |
| Secondary School |
4 |
3,587 |
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C. Catholic Social Welfare
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| Diocesan office of Masan |
Total: 92
1 hospital with 65 doctors and 243 nurses
2 multi social service centers and 1 cultural center
6 welfare institutions for children: 3 orphanages and 3 guidance centers
22 youth protection facilities: 11 study rooms, 3 protective facilities, 4 shelters, 2 vocational training centers, and 2 others
15 welfare institutions for women: 8 protective facilities, 3 rehabilitation facilities for delinquent women, 1 vocational training facilities and 3 others
13 welfare institutions for the aged: 1 home, 2 nursing homes and 10 educational and recreational centers
7 welfare institutions for the disabled: 3 protective facilities, 3 social service centers and 1 other
16 welfare institutions for the homeless: 1 protective facility, 7 facilities for free meal service and 8 others
1 sanatorium for tuberculosis patients
4 welfare institutions, 1 house and 3 villages for patients with Hansen' disease
5 counseling centers: 2 for general counseling, 1 for telephone counseling and 2 for counseling of workers
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D. Social Communications
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The weekly Catholic Times (Masan branch)
St. Paul Bookstore
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E. Other Church Organizations and Associations
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| A prayer for the beatification of Korean martyrs can be seen at the tomb of martyr Thaddaeus Gu Han-seon |
Catholic Artists' Association
Catholic Businessmen's Association
Catholic Cultural Center
Catholic Farmers' Movement
Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Masan
Catholic Lawyers' Association
Catholic Nurses' Association
Catholic Women's Organization of Masan
Charismatic Renewal
Christian Workers' Movement
Cursillo
Catholic University Students' Association
Department of Family Ministry
Legion of Mary (Regia)
Marriage Encounter
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Prison Pastoral Association
St. Vincent de Paul Society
The Blue Army
Young Christian Workers
Youth Charismatic Renewal
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F. Retreat and Education Centers
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Catholic Center
St. Benedict Retreat House in Goseong
House of the Sacred Heart in Goseong
House of Young Jesus
Jirisan Training Institute
Retreat House of OCSO
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Religious Congregations, Societies and Institutes
A. Religious Institutes of Men
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Brothers of Little Jesus
Monastery of Olivetan Benedictine Brothers ~ OSB
Orden de la Santisima Trinidad ~ OSsT
Order of Discalced Carmelite Fathers ~ OCD
Order of Friars Minor ~ OFM
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B. Religious Institutes of Women
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Adorers of the Blood of Christ ~ ASC
Blessed Sacrament Sisters of Charity ~ BBS
Caritas Sisters of Miyazaki in Korea ~ CSM
Congregatio Jesu ~ CJ
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians ~ FMA
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary ~ FMM
Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts ~ SFSC
Fraternite Jesus -- Caritas
Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ SSCJ
Korean Foreign Mission Sisters ~ FMS
Little Sisters of Contemplative Missionary Fraternity
Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, Daegu Priory ~ OSB
Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ~ MSC
Monastery Notre Dame de Mount Carmel
Olivetan Benedictine Sisters of Busan ~ OSB
Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns ~ OCD
Sisters Disciples of the Divine Master ~ PDDM
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill ~ SC
Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Suwon
Sisters of Jesus of Nazareth ~ SJN
Sisters of Little Jesus
Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres ~ SPC
Sisters of the Annunciation
Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs
Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Mirinae ~ IHMM
The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance ~ OCSO
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| General Characteristics of the Diocese
The Masan diocesan territory covers 9,050 square kilometers and includes the cities of Geoje, Masan, Sacheon, Jinju, Jinhae, Changwon, Tongyeong, and parts of Gimhae city and Miryang City. It also includes the counties of Geochang-gun, Goseong-gun, Namhae-gun, Sancheong-gun, Uiryeong-gun, Changnyeong-gun, Hadong-gun, Haman-gun and Hapcheon-gun in Gyeongsangnam-do province.
Masan diocese belongs to the ecclesiastical province of Daegu which comprises Daegu archdiocese and the dioceses of Andong, Cheongju and Pusan. Masan diocese was carved out of Pusan diocese as a suffragan diocese of Daegu Metropolitan on Feb. 15, 1966. In 2006, the diocese celebrated its 40th anniversary.
In a pastoral letter in 2007, Bishop Francis Xavier Ahn asked the faithful to proclaim the Good News and witness it in the world. It also stressed the practice of reading the Bible and loving and protecting life among other issues.
Masan diocese has several martyrs' graves and has a special fraternal relationship with Austria's Graz-Seckau diocese.
Population
The population within Masan diocesan territory as of November 2005, accounted for 4.87 percent of the country's population of 47,041,434. Most residents are ethnic Koreans.
Climate
Masan diocese falls within the temperate zone and has the four distinctive seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The yearly average temperature of here is 13-15 degrees Celsius. The annual precipitation in the region averages 1,200-1,700 millimeters. The warm currents of the southern sea make Masan a warm and rainy area. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in the rainy months (monsoon period) of June through September.
Topography
Masan diocese consists of several small cities and counties. It is located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula and borders the dioceses of Daegu, Kwangju, and Pusan and Jeonju. The region has an altitude of 100-500 meters and consists of mountains in the west, fields and a river in the central part, and a coastal area in the south with many islands and ports.
Manufacturing has been the main industry since 1970 when Masan was designated a Free Export Zone. Changwon city has a huge industrial complex and Tongyeong is a tourist area with historic sites and scenic islets.
Language
Standard Korean is in use. English, a mandatory subject in schools, is understood in business and tourist areas. All traffic signs are in English and Korean.
The website of Masan Diocese is available at: www.cathms.or.kr
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