Vietnam Catholics Open New Church After Two Centuries

September 20, 2022258 views0

Vietnam Catholics Open New Church After Two Centuries

2022-09-20T09:20:05+01:00

By Church News

Catholics in the northern Vietnamese province have been urged to work for national prospects and evangelization at the inauguration of their new church and parish which has been commissioned after two centuries.Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hanoi and Bishop Joseph Chau Ngoc Tri of Lang Son Cao Bang co-celebrated a special Mass to inaugurate St. Joseph Church in Hoang Ha parish based in Kim Dong district of Hung Yen province.“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.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 effective evangelization work.” They also should choose God as their own master in their daily life.Before the Mass, the locals clapped and waved white and yellow flags and colourful balloons, while others in traditional ethnic clothes banged gongs and played the saxophones along the road leading to the church set in a beautiful position amid green fields welcoming the bishops and priests.Father Peter Do Van Chung, the pastor of Hoang Ha parish, said the historic event will encourage all local people to be aware of their duties to build up the parish, actively take part in church activities and especially bring Christian values to people around them.ALSO READ Vietnamese Catholics Honour Two Martyrs At A Special Mass