Mac Bac Catholic Church, located in Cau Quan town, Tieu Can district; 30 km from Tra Vinh city and 7 km from Tieu Can town in the southwest direction, 3 km from the left bank of Hau river to the east. This is the largest-scale and oldest church belonging to a Catholic parish not only the largest in Tra Vinh province, but also one of the parishes with the largest number of parishioners in the Mekong Delta. Kowloon.
The campus of Mo Bac church is more than 01 hectare wide, shaded by rows of ancient stars, located in the center of the tall sandy mound, the main gate overlooks the junction between Highway 60 and the road leading to the road. to the market and busy Cau Quan pier.
Mac Bac Church is a famous religious art architecture, which is a combination of Roman architectural styles, French architecture and Vietnamese traditional architecture of the late 19th century.
In the 1860s, after the French colonialists invaded and placed a yoke on the Southern region, Catholic parishes went public and Mo Bac parish gradually developed towards the center of the tall sand dunes. , the Can Chong river pair, convenient for land transportation for development. The colonial government built a small wharf on Can Chong wharf so that the French provincial officials from Tra Vinh could easily visit and watch the ceremony. Since then, the place of Cau Quan was formed and the parish of Mac Bac is also known as Cau Quan parish.
Supported by the colonial government, the Basilica or Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon was started construction in 1877 and completed in 1880. Six years later, 1886, the construction of the Bac Tra Vinh Mac Church was started. The drawing of Mo Bac church is the drawing of Notre Dame Cathedral, designed by architect J. Bourad, scaled down to 70/100. From this drawing, the French engineer Errard is in general responsibility, but the person who directly directs and urges the construction is the Boss of Nguyen Van Thang. All materials from steel roof trusses and frames, cement, tiles, stained glass, masonry bricks, floor tiles, 6-tone copper bells (do, re, si, pha, sol, la)... are all Made in France, shipped by ship.
When designing the roof tile, architect J. Bourad succeeded in harmoniously combining the style of the Vietnamese royal tile roof with the Western church roof.
On the lower and upper walls of Mo Bac church, there are windows installed with stained glass artworks, which depict holy figures and biblical events, but also interspersed a lot. Oriental motifs and images. The stained glass system is designed very nicely and harmoniously, creating a great light effect. In the heart of the church, a gentle light creates a dignified and peaceful atmosphere... Magical light also makes the architectural details and interior of the cathedral more prominent and beautiful.
The altar on the side of the sanctuary in the Mo Bac church is made of monolithic marble with angels carved on the altar stone. The altar pedestal is also a beautiful artistic sculpture depicting biblical events.
The light from the chandeliers is designed with Roman-Gotich patterns to create a shimmering, solemn and holy space.
In front of the facade is an open-air hall with a length equal to the width of the church, 1.2 m high, slightly lower than the church floor, 4 m wide. This is where the outdoor rites take place during Masses.
A yard away from the front yard is a square lake with an area of more than 150 m2 that both creates a rural scene in Vietnam and helps parishioners from villages and fields walk to wash their hands and feet before entering the church. see ceremony.
The parish house is a two-story structure, with wooden stairs and wooden floors built on the east side of the cathedral, intended as a residence for priests, helpers and a meeting place for parish officials. .
Easter in 1888, after more than 2 years of construction, Mac Bac Church was inaugurated with an area of 24 x 60 m and two 32 m high bell towers. This is the second largest Catholic church in the South at the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, only after Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, so it was dubbed the "Basilica of the Southwest region" .
After 130 years of existence, Mo Bac Church has undergone many restorations and embellishments but still retains the appearance of the original design. Particularly, the lake has been leveled to avoid danger for children and create more front yard area for other activities. Some items were newly built, meeting the development requirements of a parish with a long history of formation and development but still in harmony in a common landscape.
- Address: Cau Quan town, Tieu Can district, Tra Vinh
- Email: ttxtdltravinh@gmail.com
Website: www.dulichtravinh.com.vn