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Diocesan Officials

A. Ordinary of Hung Hoa Diocese

Bishop Antoine Vu Huy Chuong was born on Sept. 14, 1944 in the northern province of Ha Tay. He and his family were part of the exodus to the south in 1954, when communists took control of the north from French colonial rulers. On Dec. 18, 1972, he was ordained a priest of Can Tho, a diocese serving the Mekong delta region. He taught at St. Quy Major Seminary in Can Tho before he was appointed Bishop of Hung Hoa on Aug. 5, 2003. He was ordained a bishop on Oct. 1 that same year. He now is president of the Episcopal Commission for Clergy and Seminarians of the Vietnam Bishops' Conference. Address: 5 Le Loi Street, Son Tay town, Ha Tay province.
Phone: (84) 34-832453
Fax: (84) 34-834461
Email: tgmhh@hn.vnn.vn

Previous Ordinaries

Bishop Gustave André Ferdinand Raballand, M.E.P. (1956-1962)
Bishop Jean-Baptiste Maximilien Chabalier, M.E.P. (1937-1955)
Bishop Valentin Herrgott, M.E.P. (1928-1936)
Bishop Jean-Claude Bouchut, M.E.P. (1902-1928)
Bishop Jean-Baptiste Grosgeorge, M.E.P. (1896-1902)
Bishop Marie-Laurent-François-Xavier Cordier, M.E.P. (1882-1895)
Bishop Jean-Claude Miche, M.E.P. (1850-1873)

B. Other Diocesan Officials

Vicar General: Father Pierre Phung Van Ton
Address: Hoang Xa Church, Hoang Xa village, Thanh Thuy district, Phu Tho province
Phone: (84) 210-878223

Secretary: Father Joseph Nguyen Trung Thoai
Address: 5 Le Loi Street, Son Tay town, Ha Tay province
Phone: (84) 34-832453
Fax: (84) 34-834461
Email: tgmhh@hn.vnn.vn

*Hung Hoa Diocesan Curia:*
Diocesan Tribunal Diocesan Procuration Board of Diocesan Consultors Diocesan Pastoral Council

Statistics

A. Catholic Population

As of Dec. 31, 2003, Hung Hoa diocese had 198,000 Catholics, representing about 3.12 percent of the 6,350,000 people living in all or parts of the 10 provinces within the territory of the diocese. The diocese's 11,500 ethnic Catholics include 11,000 H'mong. The rest are Dao, Muong, Thai and Tay people. In 2003, the diocese recorded 4,635 baptisms. Also living in the diocese are members of other Christian denominations and followers of non-Christian religions or cults. Most people living in the diocese are Buddhists.

B. Diocesan and Religious Priests

Diocesan priests: 30
Religious priests: 0

C. Deacons

Transitional: 7 diocesan deacons

D. Religious Brothers, Sisters

Religious Brothers: 0
Religious Sisters: 115

E. Lay Missionaries, Catechists

Lay Missionaries: 0
Catechists: 78 salaried, 1,650 volunteers

F. Seminarians

Diocesan seminarians: 26
Seminary candidates: 99

G. Deaneries in the diocese:

Son Tay-Hoa Binh-Son La Deanery

Tuyen Quang Deanery

Lao Cai-Lai Chau-Dien Bien Deanery

Yen Bai Deanery

Tay-Nam Phu Tho Deanery

Tay-Bac Phu Tho Deanery

Dong-Nam Phu Tho Deanery

H. There are 87 parishes and 452 sub-parishes in 10 provinces.

The diocese has 266 churches, including 11 rebuilt in 2004. However, another 100 churches in the diocese need to be repaired or rebuilt.

Cathedral of Hung Hoa

Inside Hung Hoa Cathedral

Diocesan Activities and Organizations

A. Major Diocesan Commissions and Officials

Diocesan Commission for Clergy and Seminarians: Father Pierre Phung Van Ton

Diocesan Commission for Religious: Father Joseph Nguyen Thai Ha; Father Jean Vu Tat

Diocesan Commission for Laity: Father Joseph Nguyen Van Dinh

Diocesan Commission for Liturgy: Father Antoine Duong Phu Oanh

Diocesan Commission for Holy Music and Arts: Father Jean Dang Van Nghia

Diocesan Commission for Evangelization: Father Antoine Nguyen Gia Nhang

Diocesan Commission for Cultural Affairs: Father Paul Luu Ngoc Lam

Diocesan Commission for Doctrine of the Faith: Father Jean Baptiste Nguyen Van Nhan

Diocesan Commission for Charitable and Social Services: Father Franciscan Xavier Nguyen Van Thai

Diocesan Pastoral Activities:

Re-evangelize Catholics and evangele non-Catholics

Offer training courses to parish and sub-parish council members, catechists, conductors and people who play musical instruments

Build new churches and repair churches in bad condition

Save 500 dong a day in every Catholic family for diocesan charitable activities

Set up funds for scholarships

Encourage and support Religious and priestly vocations

Offer pastoral activities to people in remote areas, especially ethnic H'mong and Muong

Bishop Vu riding a horse on a pastoral visit

to ethnic H'mong Catholics in the remote

mountainous parish in Giang Lao Pan

Bishop Vu with H'mong Catholics

in Giang Lao Pan Church

B. Catholic Educational Institutions

Nurseries run by Religious women: 4

Religious Congregations

Religious Institutes of Women

Lovers of the Holy Cross of Hung Hoa Sisters (established on Jan. 15, 1943). The general superior is Sister Marie Do Thi Hao.
Address: 15/2, Le Loi ward, Son Tay town, Ha Tay province
Phone: (84) 34-834793

General Characteristics of the Diocese

Hung Hoa diocese, Vietnam's largest diocese in terms of area, borders China and Laos. It covers 48,072 square kilometers and includes the whole provinces of Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, and Son La, as well as parts of Ha Giang, Ha Tay, Hoa Binh and Tuyen Quang provinces. It is a suffragan diocese within the ecclesiastical province of Ha Noi.

Hung Hoa diocese was established on April 15, 1895. Bishop Paul Marie Raymond Loc of the Paris Foreign Mission Society (MEP) was ordained its first bishop on Oct. 15 that same year. Bishop Paul Nguyen Huy Quang, Hung Hoa's first Vietnamese bishop, was head of the diocese from 1960 until he died in 1985.

The diocese is estimated to have 39 ethnic peoples, but only 16 have been officially recorded. Besides Kinh (majority Vietnamese), who account for 85 percent of the total, there are 15 ethnic peoples, including Bo Y, Dao, Day, Ha Nhi, H'mong, Kho Mu, La Chi, Lao, Muong, Nung, Phu La, San Chay, San Chi, Thai and Tay.

< Last updated on: September 25, 2005 >