page_title: Myeongdong Cathedral
section_title: Details of the building
hierarchical_section_title: Myeongdong Cathedral / Details of the building
caption_attribution_description: 한국어: 명동성당 (서울 중구 명동2가 1-8) This media shows the cultural heritage monument in South Korea with the number: HS-258
context_page_description: The Cathedral Church of Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, informally known as Myeongdong Cathedral, is the national cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul. Located in the Myeongdong neighborhood of Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Seoul Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the highest Roman Catholic prelate of the nation.
  It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Immaculate Conception is the principal Patroness of Korea by a Pontifical decree accorded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1841. The cathedral serves as a community landmark, tourist attraction, and a notable symbol of Roman Catholicism in Korea. The Korean government assigned the cathedral as a historic site on 22 November 1977, making it a cultural property and asset of the country.
context_section_description: The original church was constructed with twenty types of locally fired red and gray bricks. The main building rises to 23m high, while the steeple, which contains a clock, rises to 45m. It was designated National Historic Site no.258 on 22 November   1977.
  The interior of the church is ornately decorated with religious artwork. The high altar of the cathedral features of the Madonna and Child as Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The image is flanked by a central ciborium enshrining a cross that is flanked by the Twelve apostles. A side altar is dedicated to Saint Benedict of Nursia while another side chapel features patron saint Andrew Kim Taegon and  French Bishop Bum-Se-Hyeong, born as Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert, whom local devotees have dressed in the national costume of Korea. Stained glass windows depict the Nativity of Jesus and Adoration of the Magi, Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, and the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary. The windows were restored to their original condition in 1982 by artist Lee Nam-gyu.
  The crypt of the cathedral lies directly beneath the main altar. The crypt contains the relics of nine Korean Church martyrs. Two of the martyrs' identities are unknown. The remaining five are Bishop Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert (the second Bishop of the Church in Korea), Father Maubant, Father Chastan Kim Sung-woo Antonio, and Choi Gunghwan Francesco. A special pilgrimage Holy Mass takes place every weekday morning in the Crypt Chapel.
  On the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the church in 1948, a French statue of Our Lady of Lourdes bearing the title “the Immaculate Conception” was erected behind the church property. On 27 August  1960, Archbishop Paul Roh Ki-nam consecrated the grotto and dedicated it towards Korean reunification, at the time a highly controversial issue that persists on today.
caption: View of its facade
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