Time slipped away unnoticed. The Nha Tho Tac Roi stands before you. Its history whispers through the aged stones.
The Nha Tho Tac Roi wasn’t always here. It began as a small community. People lived near a river bend. Boats often drifted there. The area became known as Tac Roi meaning “drifting boats”.
In 1863 a man named Paul Le Van Bang purchased land. He was the brother of Father Matthew Le Van Giem. He started a business there. Some local people were devout Catholics. They asked Father Phi the priest at the nearby Xom Chieu Church. He agreed to establish a mission in 1880. Saint Peter was their patron saint.
Initially the mission was small. Only about 80 people attended. Priests from Dai Chung and An Duoc Cai Nhum would visit. Later priests from the Mission of Saint Joseph of the Qui Nhon diocese would assist. For a long time Tac Roi did not have its own resident priest. The Xom Chieu priests provided care.
Life was hard for the Tac Roi community. They were poor and the journey to church was difficult. Many stopped attending services. Only when a priest visited would they come regularly. When priests were unavailable the church was practically abandoned. The poor conditions and challenging travel resulted in dwindling attendance. By 1890 the number of worshippers had decreased significantly.
Then came significant changes. In 1993 Ho Chi Minh City was growing. The Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone was expanding. The land where Tac Roi stood was needed for development. Father Joseph Buy Minh Son who was then pastor of Tan Hoa church took action. He worked with the Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh to relocate the Nha Tho Tac Roi.
The church moved to its current location in Tan My ward. The new site measured only 890 square meters. It was small. The original Tac Roi community had reduced to fewer than ten families. Only around 100 parishioners remained. The Archbishop recognized the historical importance of Tac Roi. He secured funding for a new building.
On December 26 1996 Archbishop Aloisio Pham Van Nam assigned Father Dominic Ngo Quang Tuyen as pastor. The Nha Tho Tac Roi began to flourish. Father Dominic and the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Qui Nhon worked together with the parishioners. They rebuilt and renovated the church. The faithful community grew.
Today the Nha Tho Tac Roi has about 1000 parishioners. It’s a vibrant community. It spans several wards. Five sub-parishes serve the area. The growth and strength of the Nha Tho Tac Roi are a testament to its enduring faith. It stands as a symbol of perseverance and spiritual renewal. This story of the Nha Tho Tac Roi is one of faith resilience and growth. It’s a story worth remembering.