HANOI (UCAN): The Archdiocese of Hanoi, Vietnam, formally established a new parish bringing cheers to a community whose ancestors embraced Catholicism more than 150 years ago.
Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien presided over the ceremony announcing the elevation of Nhan Khang Church in the Ly Nhan district of Ha Nam province, to the status of parish status on July 1. About 1,000 people joined a special Mass to mark the occasion.
Archbishop Vu said he elevated Nhan Khang, uo to now a sub-parish of Khoan Vy, to boost the faith of local Catholics pastorally and spiritually.
“Today is an eventful day marking the development in faith of the community here. We have received the faith from our ancestors, and we also have a duty to bring it to our descendants,” the archbishop said.
Archbishop Vu assigned Father Joseph Mai Huu Phe as the first parish priest to care for some 900 Catholics.
From elderly to children, all people enthusiastically cleaned the church and its compound, practiced dancing and singing of hymns and made other preparations for this important occasion,
Joseph Tran Van Hien
Joseph Tran Van Hien, head of the parish council, said local people expressed their joy for the new parish by dancing on the streets.
“From elderly to children, all people enthusiastically cleaned the church and its compound, practiced dancing and singing of hymns and made other preparations for this important occasion,” Tran said.
An elderly Catholic, Joseph Tran Van That, said he waited for years to see this day, and he spoke about how local people kept their faith strong despite difficult situations.
“God loves and blesses this small community,” he said.
Parish priest Father Mai said he has high hopes that the new status will motivate local Catholics to overcome challenges and develop the parish vigorously.
Today is an eventful day marking the development in faith of the community here. We have received the faith from our ancestors, and we also have a duty to bring it to our descendants
Archbishop Vu
Local elderly people recounted that Catholicism first arrived in the area in the middle of the 19th century when Tran Duc Thang, a Mandarin-speaking local man, converted. In the course of time more people embraced the faith.
Locals built a 168 square metre wooden church in 1905. As most Catholics were poor farmers many struggled to keep the faith amid dire socio-economic conditions.
In 2006, Father Joseph Mai Xuan Lam took the initiative to build a new, concrete church on a 330 square metre plot. The building was completed in seven years.
Locals lent their hands to build other facilities, including the catechism centre, the shrine of St. Vincent, and 14 stations of the Way of the Cross.
Over the years, the parish has produced seven religious for local Catholic congregations.
In recent years, the Archdiocese of Hanoi, which covers most of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi city, the whole province of Ha Nam and part of the provinces of Nam Dinh and Hung Yen, has founded several new parishes and churches.
Church sources say the uptick in church infrastructure development is a result of partial relaxation of religious policies and other rules to improve the lives of people.
