Visiting Mekong Delta’s century-old church

March 31, 2018 | 17:20

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Tac Say Church in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, commonly dubbed as Father Diep Church, has been in existence for nearly one century and linked to the life of Truong Buu Diep, a highly respected Vietnamese Catholic priest who is believed to have died in 1946 while protecting his followers during the war.

visiting mekong deltas century old church

Tac Say Church in Bac Lieu Province is where the remains of priest Truong Buu Diep are buried and remembered

Located in Tan Phong Commune, Gia Rai District and right on National Highway 1A towards the country’s southern tip of Ca Mau, the church was constructed in 1925 during the French colonial time. It has undergone several times of restoration thanks to contributions by generous Catholic followers nationwide to make it the largest and most striking cathedral in the Mekong Delta as witnessed today.

The church has served as not only a worshipping place for parishioners to practice their religious beliefs but also the resting place of Priest Truong Buu Diep, whose remains are buried in the church campus.

Additionally, the church also houses a five-storey pilgrimage center which is open round the clock to cater to pilgrims who wish to stay overnight at no charges. The center is capable of accommodating about 600 pilgrims at a time.

Visitors are seen at the resting place of the priest who abandoned his life to protect his followers during the war in 1946

Worshippers burn incense and pray at Father Diep’s tomb

Early March every year, throngs of pilgrims from different parts of the country will flock to Tac Say Church in droves to burn incense and commemorate the death anniversary of the priest who gave up his life to safeguard his Catholic followers and made stringent efforts to the development of Catholicism in the Mekong Delta.

SGT

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