Ha Dong parishioners protest and pray in front of the People’s Committee office
Ha Dong – Last Sunday (January 6, 2008), parishioners organized a prayer vigil in front of the People’s Committee office in Ha Dong city for the restitution of the old rectory and its land that formerly belonged to Ha Dong parish. That building was once the headquarters of the People’s Committee office in Ha Dong.
Ha Dong parish is a member of Ha Tay deanery in the Archdiocese of Hanoi. The local government has illegally occupied this rectory and its land since 1977 despite the parish’s persistent requests for the return over the past 20 years.
Now the People’s Committee office has moved to another location, but they still reject the restitution of this building to Ha Dong parishioners. Local government officials keep ignoring parishioners’ legitimate request when being questioned and/or confronted.
They even sent an official correspondence to Father Joseph Nguyen Ngoc Hinh – Pastor of Ha Dong parish confirming that this rectory and its land were donated to the local government by a so-called "church keeper."
This official letter has really irritated the pastor and his parishioners as local government officials have barbarously ignored the core truth of the matter: how can a parishioner donate a rectory and the church’s land to the local government?
They also ignored the fact that during that time, Ha Dong parish did not have a permanent-assigned priest, and the man so-called "church keeper" was appointed by the local government themselves.
As a result, parishioners gather in front of the headquarters of the People’s Committee office since last Sunday afternoon of January 6, 2008 to hold daily prayers and recite the rosaries. They continue to do so until their legitimate request is met.
Ha Dong – Last Sunday (January 6, 2008), parishioners organized a prayer vigil in front of the People’s Committee office in Ha Dong city for the restitution of the old rectory and its land that formerly belonged to Ha Dong parish. That building was once the headquarters of the People’s Committee office in Ha Dong.
Ha Dong parish is a member of Ha Tay deanery in the Archdiocese of Hanoi. The local government has illegally occupied this rectory and its land since 1977 despite the parish’s persistent requests for the return over the past 20 years.
Now the People’s Committee office has moved to another location, but they still reject the restitution of this building to Ha Dong parishioners. Local government officials keep ignoring parishioners’ legitimate request when being questioned and/or confronted.
They even sent an official correspondence to Father Joseph Nguyen Ngoc Hinh – Pastor of Ha Dong parish confirming that this rectory and its land were donated to the local government by a so-called "church keeper."
This official letter has really irritated the pastor and his parishioners as local government officials have barbarously ignored the core truth of the matter: how can a parishioner donate a rectory and the church’s land to the local government?
They also ignored the fact that during that time, Ha Dong parish did not have a permanent-assigned priest, and the man so-called "church keeper" was appointed by the local government themselves.
As a result, parishioners gather in front of the headquarters of the People’s Committee office since last Sunday afternoon of January 6, 2008 to hold daily prayers and recite the rosaries. They continue to do so until their legitimate request is met.