Vietnam Catholics Open New Church After Two Centuries

UCANews ^ | 9/19/22

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People attend the inauguration of St. Joseph Church in Hoang Ha parish in Hung Yen province on Sept. 18. (Photo: tonggiaophanhanoi.org)

Catholics in a northern Vietnamese province have been urged to work for national prospects and evangelization at the inauguration of their new church and parish.

On Sept. 18, Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hanoi and Bishop Joseph Chau Ngoc Tri of Lang Son Cao Bang concelebrated a special Mass to inaugurate St. Joseph Church in Hoang Ha parish based in Kim Dong district of Hung Yen province. Some 100 priests joined the Mass attended by a thousand people.

"We are greatly delighted to enter this new church to meet God and one another and improve our faith life," Archbishop Thien said, adding that the Gothic-style church has been a cherished dream of local people for a long time.

The prelate also announced the establishment of the new parish of Hoang Ha from the Hoang Ha sub-parish established over 200 years ago.

“This is a positive sign of the evangelization history of the local faithful community who are expected to be in harmony and united to foster their faith life and willingly tell Christ’s story to other people,” he said.

He also thanked a local couple for making generous donations to the building of the 480-square-meter church with a bell tower reaching a height of 42.5 meters.

In his homily, Bishop Tri congratulated local people for their efforts in making their lifelong dream of the church come true.

He called on them to “continue to cherish other dreams of national peace and prosperity, of families of happiness, and of effective evangelization work.” They also should choose God as their own master in their daily life.

[married21]

Beautiful.

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May God bless them, and may we never forget the many Vietnamese Christian martyrs.