Bac Kan's first church, a 'sign of faith' of northern ethnic groups

A community celebration accompanied the inauguration of the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Bishop Van Dat extols the mission of the Redemptorists and their commitment to education and social work. The parish of Bac Kan, founded in 1928, today numbers 1,200 faithful.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The "first church" in the province is a "source of pride and a clear sign of the faith of Catholics in the region," are the words of joy and satisfaction from Redemptorist Fr Joseph Nguyen Van Tinh, in charge of the work on the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help inaugurated on 20 October in a mountainous area of the diocese of Bac Ninh, Bac Kan province (northern Vietnam).

The ceremony, presided over by Bishop Cosme Hoang Van Dat, was attended by about a hundred priests, local government officials, and a large number of the faithful for a true community celebration.

Most of the Catholics in Na Phac belong to ethnic groups and depend on the parish of Bac Kan, which was founded in 1928 and now has almost 1,200 faithful. 49-year-old Fr Tinh has been serving the local community since 2011. He tells Eglises d'Asie (EdA) about the new church: built in Gothic style and equipped with a bell tower, it has 300 seats and will become the centre of reference for the inhabitants of the area, a sanctuary of peace and joy.  "The hope is that here people can deepen their faith and learn to entrust themselves to God" he emphasises.  

The bishop, who regularly visits the mountainous and remote area, has in the past celebrated numerous baptisms among the ethnic groups. In his homily, Msgr Van Dat said "today is a happy day for the inhabitants of Na Phac," and the entire community must pay tribute to the work of the Redemptorists and those who have made it possible to build a new place of worship, also financed by "generous donations" from private individuals.

The prelate ordained Fr Tinh in 2011 and assigned him the community of Na Phac the same year, then the parish of Bac Kan in 2014, which also benefits from the contribution and missionary work of other Redemptorist Fathers. The latter are responsible for evangelising ethnic groups and supporting efforts to ensure full access to education and housing for ethnic minority children.

The religious also help local communities to preserve their culture and language of origin, translating scriptures and hymns into Hmong and celebrating mass in the local and Vietnamese languages. Because of the enormous distances involved, many families have to make long journeys and arrive at the parish the night before to study catechism or attend mass.

Since the first five baptisms of a Hmong family in 2015, the community in Na Phac has grown to 450 Catholics today, most of them of Hmong and Dao origin. Several Catholic families of Kinh ethnicity came to the region in 1979 from Cao Bang province to escape the possible Chinese invasion of Vietnam. Na Phac is one of five parishes dependent on Bac Kan. It is the only parish in the province and has been without a resident priest for 60 years due to wars and religious persecution.