St Joseph Cathedral Hanoi, Vietnam

St Joseph’s Cathedral, or “The Big Church” familiarly called by the locals, is one of the first structures constructed by French colonists during their expansion in Indochina and still intact in Hanoi after two fierce wars. In spite of fierce fights destroying almost parts of Hanoi, St Joseph’s Cathedral is still in good condition. Today, it becomes a historical attraction in Hanoi which remains the image of the beauty of the old Hanoi and makes an impression on travelers by its ancient beauty inside the bustling capital.

Saint Joseph Cathedral has been located at 40 Nha Chung Street, Hoan Kiem District of Hanoi, Vietnam since 1886 with Neo-Gothic style. The cathedral serves more than 3000 Catholics so that it is also the place that celebrates many religious activities for Catholics in this country. According to some historical documents such as: “La vie de Mgr. Puginier”, “Bong nuoc Ho Guom”, documents of Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, this land formerly belonging to Bao Thien Pagoda, which was built under Ly dynasty. At the end of 18th century, Bao Thien Pagoda was damaged because of war Vietnam – French and the land was transferred to cathedral.
In November 1873, acting in support of the French trader Jean Dupuis, French troops under the command of Lieutenant Francis Garnier captured the Hanoi Citadel, before conquering the rest of the city. A decade passed before the colonists gained full control of Hanoi due to rebel insurgencies.Construction of the cathedral most likely started after this time and it was completed in December 1886, a year before the federation of French Indochina was established as part of its colonial empire.It was built by the French missionary and apostolic vicar of West Tonkin Paul-François Puginier, who obtained permission from the colonial French administration. It was built on the abandoned site of Báo Thiên Pagoda. This location was part of an “administrative center” of Tonkin before the French colonial era. In order to facilitate the construction of the church, the ruins of the pagoda – which was built when the city was founded by the 11th-century Lý dynasty and had collapsed in 1542, never to be repaired – were cleared.The cathedral was consecrated on December 24, 1886.

After the Viet Minh took control of North Vietnam following the Geneva Accords in 1954, the Catholic Church suffered decades of persecution. Priests were arrested, and church property was seized and expropriated.St. Joseph’s Cathedral was not spared; it was closed down until Christmas Eve of 1990, when Mass was permitted to be celebrated there again. In 2008, protests related to religious symbols occurred at the lot next to the cathedral.

Saint Joseph Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Hanoi. It was built during the time that bishop Puginier was Apostolic Vicar of Hanoi (1835-1892). Recognizing the development of Economy, Politics, and Culture of Hanoi which will become a center in the future, Bishop Piginier decided to build a church named Saint Joseph following the design of Ke So (So Kien) church but more beautiful. To have finance to build the church, the bishop asked permission for the first lottery, and it was signed by Courbet admiral in 1883. The lottery program gained approximately 17,000 Francs plus someone donated about 5,000 Francs. The Bishop spent approximately 200,000 Francs to build the church which could have enough space for 3,000 people to attend Mass, so he repeatedly wrote a letter to ask for another permission for the second lottery, but his letter was denied. Finally in 1886, Paul Bert, who was the govenor general in Tokin and Annam, understood the financial problem of building the church and allowed the Bishop to open the lottery program to raise money with 11,000 Francs starting with 6,000 dong and plus money of donors. The prices of the lottery program were not money, but were patent art furnitures that were made in Vietnam. They were collected by the Bishop and brought to Europe to exhibit at auctions and museums. Saint Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi was built in four years (1882-1886) following the wise guidance of the Bishop, skillful cooperation of workers, and a French donor. The first Mass was celebrated on December 24th, 1886 when the Cathedral was inaugurated. With the Gothic architecture, Saint Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi marks a period of European technique that entered Vietnam. Saint Joseph Church is 55 meters in length, 33 meters in width, 17 meters in hight, and twin bell towers are 31 meters in hight. It was built by Vietnamese materials that time like earthenware bricks and mortar with pasteboard. Inside the Church, there are curl and wide domes, and on the sanctury there is a wooden screen which was carved with sophisticated and unique wooden motifs of Vietnamese architectural tradition. Especially, the clock with one big bell and four smaller bells were imported with 20,000 Francs. Their sounds everday and each Sunday entered the history and the life of Hanoi inhabitants. For more than 130 years, Saint Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi has become the heart of Hanoi Archdiocese. The life of faith of Catholics always develops and spreads. Saint Joseph Cathedral is not only a unique place in the faith of Hanoi believers but also it is a necessary place for the rest of visitors and pilgrims when they come to visit Hanoi.