Huyen Sy Church
Violet, Osang, Jandy and I still had the whole morning free prior to our departure, via aircon bus, from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, so we decided to walk over to nearby Huyen Sy Church, the oldest and one of the four biggest Catholic churches in the city (it is the second largest). Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful churches in the city, it imitates the style of many European cathedrals and small churches in France and I was looking forward to add this to my Saigon photo collection.
Church interior
The church, sometimes known as Nhà thờ Chợ Đũi (Đũi Market Church) because it was located in Chợ Đũi parish, was designed by Fr. Charles Boutier (1845-1927), an architect of considerable merit who had previously designed the Thủ Đức Church and redesigned the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres’ École de Sainte-Enfance complex (after its original wooden buildings had been damaged by termites).
The vaulted ceiling of the nave
Constructed from 1902 to 1905, it was named after Huyen Sy (1841-1900, real name Philippe Lê Phát Ðạt), the richest man in Saigon at that time and grandfather of Queen Nam Phuong (Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan), first and primary wife of King Bảo Đại, Vietnam’s last king.
Italian stained glass windows
Funder of the church’s construction (he donated one seventh of his family inheritance to build the church and also contributed the land on which it sits), he also funded the construction of the churches in Chí Hoà and Thủ Đức. He died before the building was completed. His son Denis Lê Phát An later built the extraordinary Byzantine-style church in Hạnh Thông Tây.
The high altar
This 40 m. long by 18 m. wide, Gothic-style church has Romanesque decorative elements and a vaulted nave flanked by vaulted aisles decorated in pastel green and white. Off the nave, in the axial Huyện Sỹ memorial chapel immediately behind the chancel, are the tombs of Huyen Sy and his wife Huỳnh Thị Tài (1845-1920). Elaborately carved from the finest marble, the tombs feature full-length effigies of the couple. Busts of Huyện Sỹ and Huỳnh Thị Tài are also installed on the walls.
Chapel dedicated to St. Joseph
Aside from using brick, this is also one or a few churches that used Bien Hoa granite, a kind of stone that shows wealth but is very hard to carve patterns. It was used in the façade, base, the main columns and decorative work.The high ceiling, with its vertical emphasis, is defined by an ogival arch that is supported by pillars made from Bien Hoa granite.
Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary
Its Italian stained glass windows, which keeps out as much of the tropical heat as possible, are adorned with images of Bible stories while, along the walls, are statues of Biblical and Vietnamese saints and the 14 Stations of the Cross. On either side of the transept are small chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Joseph.
Statue of St. Matthieu Le Van Gam
The chancel features a richly-decorated marble high altar standing on an open platform and featuring ornate gilding work and exquisitely-carved bas-reliefs of Biblical scenes, including the Last Supper and Mary being visited by the Angel Gabriel.
Statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus
The church is dedicated to St. Philip the Apostle (a statue of St Philip stands at the main entrance). Immediately in front of the church stands a statue of St. Matthêu Lê Văn Gẫm (Lê Văn Bôi, 1813-1847), a Vietnamese priest and merchant from Biên Hòa Province who was captured and beheaded, for his Catholic missionary activities, in the Chợ Đũi area on the orders of the Nguyễn Dynasty court. In 1900, he was beatified by Pope Leo XIII and, every year on May 11, the date of his execution, a festival of remembrance is held at the church.
The popular Ave Maria prayer spot
The grounds also contain numerous other shrines, including a statue to St Joseph and a Mountain of Our Lady, built in 1960. A Chapel of Rest has recently been added. On numerous occasions, the church has been refurbished, most recently from 2007 to 2009. Above the front vestibule is a 57 m. high bell tower which contains 4 bells cast in France in 1905.
The Chapel of Rest
The two largest bells (diameter 1.05 m.) were presented to the church by Jean Baptiste Lê Phát Thanh, one of Huyện Sỹ’s sons, and his wife Anna Đỗ Thị Thao. To honor their contribution to the Huyện Sỹ Church, their busts are also displayed in the memorial chapel behind the chancel. The donor of the two smaller bells (diameter 0.95 m.) is not known.
The church’s 3 spires
This century-old, grand and imposing church, a tranquil haven with a warm and awe-inspiring interior, is popular among Vietnamese Catholics who come to Huyen Sy to pray and light incense and votive candles. On the church grounds is a peaceful flower garden.
Votive offerings
Huyen Sy Church: 1 Ton That Tung Road (formerly Rue Frère Guilleraut) corner Nguyễn Trãi St. (formerly Rue Frère Louis), , District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: 84 (0) 8 3833 0820 and 84 (0) 8 3925 5806. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8-11 AM and 2-4:30PM.