1-hour tour inside and outside the cathedral
Commentary on history, architecture, artwork, and more
See works you’ve never seen before in a new light
Booked up for the first half of the year… proving popular
“I was interested in Catholic art, but it was better to have a docent explain it to me than to see it alone. Especially the stained glass works were impressive because of their delicate expression techniques.” (Marta Jung, Seonhakdong Parish, Incheon Diocese)
“I remember the bronze door, and I was healed by the fact that the work that the artist worked so hard to create had been in the warehouse for a long time, and I was reminded that Jesus’ love needs time to unfold.” (Ms. Michaela Kang, Donam-dong Main Hall, Seoul Archdiocese)
As people leave Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of the bishops of the Seoul Metropolitan Archdiocese, they are overwhelmed with excitement. I wondered if there was an unusual exhibition going on.
A special tour is underway. It is the ‘Myeongdong Cathedral Catholic Art Story Docent Program’. Visitors can tour the inside and outside of Myeongdong Cathedral, Korea’s first parish church and a rare Gothic structure in Korea, with a professional docent who explains its history, architecture, and artwork.
“The Myeongdong Cathedral is the symbol and heart of Korean Catholicism,” says Dr. Kim, ”so the interior, exterior, and annexes are filled with holy objects and various artworks necessary for the Catholic liturgy.”
Starting with an overview of Myeongdong Cathedral, Kim Sun-ju (Lydia), the first Catholic Art Interpreter, explains the bronze main gate by Choi Eui-soon at the entrance of the cathedral, the stained glass inside the cathedral by Lee Nam-kyu and European workshops, the Way of the Cross by Choi Jong-tae, the 14 Apostles by Jang Bal located behind the altar, the portrait of Kim Bum-woo Thomas by Cho Young-dong, and the Catholic assembly drawing of Myeongnyebang by Kim Tae. We learn about the artists and periods, the characteristics of the materials, and what the patterns symbolize. Outside the cathedral, Jang Dong-ho’s “Jesus Sentenced to Death,” Lee Chun-man’s “St. Kim Dae-gun Andrea,” and the “Statue of Our Lady” and “Statue of Jesus,” which I had passed by casually, look different after listening to the docent’s explanation.
A Catholic art docent explains the bronze statue of St. Kim Dae-gun Andrea outside Myeongdong University Cathedral.
Although there are restrictions on movement because the cathedral is a prayer space, the participants’ ears perked up as they looked at the works and listened to the explanations, following the docent’s gestures to make sure they didn’t miss anything, demonstrates the popularity of the program and people’s interest in Myeongdong Cathedral. In fact, the tour, which began on April 13, is fully booked for the first half of its schedule through June 8 (every Wednesday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 10:40 a.m.).
“I’m not a believer, but I often visit Myeongdong University Cathedral because the architecture is cool and I’m curious about the mass,” said Kim Hee-jung, ”I hope I can make a reservation for the second half of the year and join the docent program.” Ms. Kang Geum-bi (Michaela) said, “I wish there were more diverse tour times.”
The Myeongdong Cathedral tour, which began in 2019, has 11 volunteer docents who were selected through the Catholic Art Interpreters’ Docent Training Program. Each time, they lead a group of 20 participants on an hour-long tour of the cathedral’s interior and exterior.
