About St. Luke Hwang · Birmingham, Alabama
St. Luke Hwang Korean Catholic Church (St. Luke Hwang Suk-Du Korean Catholic Church) is a Korean-language Roman Catholic parish serving the Korean-American community in the Birmingham, Alabama area, under the Diocese of Birmingham. Located at 759 Valley Street in Hoover/Birmingham, the parish is named for Saint Luke Hwang Seok-du (黃錫斗, 1813–1866), one of the 103 Korean Martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984 and honored with a feast day on September 20. The parish grew out of a Korean Catholic community first organized in 1976 and was formally recognized by Bishop David Foley of Birmingham in July 1995, with Rev. Kim Sung-Kyu John installed as its first pastor. All Masses, ministries, and programs are conducted in Korean for the approximately 234 faithful registered with the parish.
- Established
- 1995
- Patron
- Saint Luke Hwang Seok-du (黃錫斗, 1813–1866), one of the 103 Korean Martyrs
- Rector
- Father Gillwoang Lee (Administrator, appointed by Bishop Raica effective August 29, 2024; loaned by the Diocese of Cheongju, South Korea). Previous resident pastor: Rev. Yun Yong-Mo (Peter), who served from September 5, 2010.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham (Alabama)
Why belong here
St. Luke Hwang is the spiritual home of Birmingham's Korean-American Catholics, offering the full sacramental life — daily Korean-language Mass Tuesday through Saturday plus a Sunday Mass — under the Diocese of Birmingham. The parish carries forward a living devotional culture that includes a long-established Legio Maria chapter (since 1993), weekly bulletins, and a tight-knit Cursillo community. For Korean Catholics in central Alabama, it provides a place to maintain language, faith, and family connections across generations, with leadership shared between a resident priest and an active lay council.
Mass times at St. Luke Hwang
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Luke Hwang Korean Catholic Church
St. Luke Hwang Suk-Du Korean Catholic Church is the Korean-language Roman Catholic parish for Birmingham, Alabama and the surrounding region. It belongs to the Diocese of Birmingham and is named for Saint Luke Hwang Seok-du (1813–1866), a Korean lay catechist and one of the 103 Korean Martyrs. The parish is led by a resident priest together with a lay parish council (평협) whose chair for many years has been Kim Su-Do David. All regular Masses are celebrated in Korean.
- Patron: Saint Luke Hwang Seok-du (黃錫斗), one of the 103 Korean Martyrs, feast day September 20
- Diocese: Diocese of Birmingham (Alabama)
- Membership: approximately 234 faithful (per Korean Catholic directory)
- Located at 759 Valley St., Birmingham/Hoover, AL 35226
Parish History
The Birmingham Korean Catholic Community was founded in 1976 and for nearly twenty years worshiped without a resident pastor. Visiting Korean priests — first Rev. Seo Augustine, then Rev. Han Bong-Sub Simon and Rev. Seo Suk-Gu John from Atlanta, and several others — celebrated Mass quarterly or bimonthly at St. Theresa Church. The community built up its devotional and publishing life in the early 1990s (youth group 1989, bulletin 'The Road' 1990, altar servers 1990, Legio Maria 1993), and in July 1995 Bishop David Foley formally recognized the community as an official parish with Rev. Kim Sung-Kyu John as its first resident pastor.
- 1976 — Korean Catholic Community established; first president Kim Soo-Do David
- June 1977 — Rev. Seo Augustine begins quarterly Mass at St. Theresa Church
- 1978–1981 — period of 'individual sacrament life'
- 1982–1985 — Rev. Han Bong-Sub Simon (Atlanta) celebrates quarterly Mass
- 1986–1989 — Rev. Seo Suk-Gu John (Atlanta) celebrates bimonthly Mass
- December 1989 — youth group founded; Rev. Yoo Young-Do Benedict visits from Rome
- June 17, 1990 — weekly bulletin 'The Road' first published
- June 24, 1990 — altar servers organized
- September 9, 1990 — newsletter 'Eh-Un-Dam' first published
- April 1993 — Legio Maria chapter established under Lee Agnes
- July 1995 — Bishop David Foley officially acknowledges the parish; Rev. Kim Sung-Kyu John becomes first resident pastor
Lay Council Presidents (Ministers)
The parish has been led by lay council presidents (called Ministers on the parish website) since its days as a community gathering in the late 1970s. Kim Su-Do David has served repeatedly — first in 1976 and again in 1992, 2005, and 2010.
- 1st president — Kim Soo-Do (David), 1976
- 2nd president — Park Han-Young (Luke)
- 3rd president — Kim Sung-Nam (John)
- 4th president — Ko Doo-Suk (Donald)
- 5th president — Han Hyun-Kyo (Joseph)
- 6th president — Kim Soo-Do (David), 1992
- 7th president — Hwang Chang-Joo (Rosario), 1994
- 8th president — Han Kum-Suk (Cecilia), 2003
- 9th president — Kim Su-Do (David), 2005; re-elected 2010
Ministries and Parish Life
St. Luke Hwang sustains a wide range of Korean Catholic devotions and lay associations that have been part of parish life for decades. The Legio Maria chapter was founded in April 1993 and the parish youth group dates to December 1989. The community also runs an active Cursillo movement with about 22 cursillistas organized into two teams.
- Legio Maria (since April 1993) — led by Lee Agnes
- Parish Youth Group (since December 1989)
- Altar servers (since June 24, 1990)
- Cursillo (꿈ㄹ실리스따) — ~22 members in two teams, meetings alternate Tuesdays and Sundays; Ultreya on the 2nd Sunday after Mass
- Weekly bulletin 'The Road' (since 1990)
- Periodical 'Eh-Un-Dam' (since 1990)
About Saint Luke Hwang Seok-du
Saint Luke Hwang Seok-du (黃錫斗, 1813–1866) was a Korean lay Catholic and catechist born into a wealthy yangban family in Chungcheong Province. He converted to Catholicism as a young man, served for roughly eight years as catechist and copyist for several French missionaries including Bishop A. Daveluy, and was beheaded with four companions at Galmemot on March 30, 1866 during the 1866 persecution. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on October 6, 1968 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984 as one of the 103 Korean Martyrs.
- Born 1813 in Yeonpung, Chungcheong Province; martyred 1866 at Galmemot
- Catechist for French missionaries including Bishop Daveluy
- Beatified October 6, 1968 (Pope Paul VI)
- Canonized May 6, 1984 (Pope John Paul II)
- Feast day — September 20
Contact Information
- Address — 759 Valley St., Birmingham (Hoover), AL 35226
- Phone — (205) 823-2301 (parish office) / (205) 870-7373 (rectory) / (205) 422-9622 (parish council chair)
- Email — [email protected] / [email protected]
- Website — http://ch.catholic.or.kr/birmingham/index.htm
- Diocese — Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Kim Sung-Kyu (John)July 1995 – 1998
First resident pastor; appointed when Bishop David Foley formally recognized the Korean Catholic Church in Birmingham.
- Rev. Choi Kwang-Cho (Francisco)1998 – June 2001
Second pastor.
- Rev. Ryu Kun-BaeJune 2001 – June 2004
Third pastor.
- Rev. Cho Young-Hyun (Michael)June 2004 – June 2007
Fourth pastor.
- Rev. Jung Sang-Gi (Gregory)June 2007 – September 2010
Fifth pastor.
- Rev. Yun Yong-Mo (Peter)September 5, 2010 – c. 2024
Sixth pastor; still listed as 주임신부 on the official parish site.
- Father Gillwoang Lee (Administrator)effective August 29, 2024
Appointed by Bishop Steven J. Raica of Birmingham and loaned by Most Rev. Simon Kim Jong-Gang of the Diocese of Cheongju, South Korea.