Cho Quan Church

The history of Cho Quan Parish is associated with the process of expanding the territory of the Nguyen Dynasty to the South. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many parishioners, especially those from the Central region who wanted to settle down in the South or avoid wars, conflicts, and famines migrated to this land. Afterward. These border people gathered together in a village called Xom Bot, in the village opened a market with many stalls to serve the daily life of local residents. The market was called Cho Quan, later used to call the surrounding neighborhoods.

Cho Quan parish was officially established in 1722. At that time, many zealous pastors gathered here to gather Christians, from Franciscans to Vietnamese missionaries. Until 1725, the parish had about 300 parishioners. Missionaries faced many difficulties when evangelizing due to social conflicts and anti-Christian policies of the feudal government at that time. Initially formed, Cho Quan parish suffered from dispersion in 1727, 1733, 1862 and 1882, then gathered and developed until now.

The first chapel of Cho Quan Parish was built in 1674, but it was not until 1723 that Father Emmanuel Quitaon came to preach and converted the chapel into a church for parishioners. In 1882 Priest Nicola Hamm began building a new church. This work lasted 14 years, went through 6 priests and was completed in 1896. The new church was inaugurated on the 4th day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Monkey (1896). This is also the last church building that we can see today. To remember the merits of contributing to the construction of the church, after his death, priest Nicola Hamm was buried at Cho Quan Church, next to the altar of Our Lady.

With a total area of ​​16,922m2, Cho Quan Parish project not only includes a church but also has many related works such as a public primary school, a house of love, a garden with many trees. Currently, Cho Quan Church has a charity clinic managed by the Red Cross Society of District 5. In addition, this place also has a place for community activities of people around the area such as jogging, morning exercise or enjoying the fresh air in the park in front of the church.

The church building includes the nave, the steeple, the 12-room catechist, the meeting room, the remains and the reading room. All are arranged harmoniously and beautifully, bringing a sense of relaxation and comfort to parishioners as well as visitors.

The architecture of Cho Quan Church represents the Gothic style that can be found in any Catholic building around the world. However, there are many unique features that make Cho Quan Church different from many other churches.

- The gate of Cho Quan Church is a spear-shaped gate with dark blue iron grids, this is the most recognizable feature in the architecture of a Catholic church. On the arch of the gate is the name "Cho Quan Parish Church" in bronze color, written in both English and Vietnamese.

- The red tile roof of the church is covered with ancient moss, creating a classic look for the whole building.

- The bell tower of Cho Quan Church is quite different from other bell towers in a Catholic architecture. It consists of three floors, from low to high is the bell tower, the steeple floor and the top floor. In the tower there are five bells, two bells are used for weekdays, two bells are used for important occasions and one bell is used for funerals. Only on special holidays do all five bells ring together. Another interesting thing about the bells is that the five bells were transported from France by sea and moved to the tower with the help of five elephants.

- The color inside Cho Quan Church is a combination of white of ceiling arches, bright yellow of columns and brown of furniture. The window of Cho Quan church is not the colorful stained glass window found in most Catholic churches in the vicinity. The two sides of the church are glass windows with horizontal pillars that help get the most natural light inside. All the details combine harmoniously to create a dignified and sparkling beauty for Cho Quan Church.

Through many ups and downs of history, Cho Quan Church still retains the value of a Catholic community. Compared to other churches, this is a more suitable place for those who want to enjoy peaceful moments in the crowded city.