Gamgok Parish was founded in 1896 and is a place with a long and rich history. Its patron saint is Our Lady of the Rosary. The first pastor, Father Camillo, upon seeing this site, prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, saying, “Blessed Mother, if You grant this place into my possession, I will become Your humble servant, and the patron saint here shall be Our Lady of the Rosary.” One year and four months later, providentially in May 1896, the Month of Mary, he was able to purchase the land, and on October 7 of that year—the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary—the parish was officially established. The site includes the Marian Plaza, a museum, the Statue of the Sorrowful Mother, and the Stations of the Cross on the hillside.

Recognized by the Cheongju Diocese as a “Pilgrimage Site of Our Lady of the Rosary,” this place bears signs of God’s grace revealed through the Blessed Mother.

First, during the Japanese colonial period, the area of the Marian Plaza was designated as a site for Shinto shrine worship, but this plan was thwarted by abnormal weather conditions.

Second, during the Korean War in 1950, communist soldiers fired guns at the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary, yet it was not destroyed. Even when they fired a submachine gun, the bullets missed, and when they attempted to pull the statue down, tears flowed from the eyes of the Blessed Mother, causing the soldiers to be unable to touch her.