YEN BAI (UCAN): Some 1,000 parishioners gathered for a special Mass on February 3, at the Archangel Michael Church Yen Bai city, in Yen Bai province, northern Vietnam. They pledged to contribute towards building a better community and society as they celebrated Tet, or the Lunar New Year festival.
“We gather here to give heartfelt thanks to God for having kept us healthy and safe over the past year, and to beg him to offer us good health and jobs in the new year,” said Father Michael Nguyen Tien Quang, who celebrated the Mass.
The 49-year-old priest, who is parish priest of Nhan Nghia, asked the locals to donate toward the repair of their church, with hundreds coming forward with their offerings
Joseph Nguyen Thanh Cong, a worker and member of the parish council, who helped build the church 22 years ago, said the 800-square-metre building was erected on an old foundation laid by foreign missionaries.
The original structure had been ruined during wars in the 1960s and local people had to use a leaf chapel until 1990 when they started to build the present church which was completed in 1998.
The parish council member said it was the first church in the province built with an official building permit after the government started to relax it restrictions on religious activities.
“It is essential to raise funds to renovate the historical church for younger generations,” he said.
After the Mass, Father Nguyen also blessed 30 cars and 300 motorcycles in the church compound.
Anne Le Thi Lien said that she works for an insurance company and rode her motorcycle 200 kilometres to work every day during the Covid-19 pandemic last year. She fell off it sometimes but thanked God she emerged safely.
The mother of two offered 200,000 dong [$68.7] toward the repair of the church.
Joseph Nguyen Van Luc, a businessman, said he prayed that God would bless his business and his car in the new year.
Nguyen, who owns a chain of restaurants in the city, said he and his employees suffered during the pandemic but looked forward to better times. He offered to donate cement for the renovation of the church building.
