History of Xuong Dien Parish
Xuong Dien, formerly known as Con Xom or Con Co, is located on the lower Quan Anh strip of land between Tra Lu and Ninh rivers, formerly a large sand dune created by sea sand.
When preaching the Gospel in North Vietnam, the missionaries kept going along the coast to preach. Therefore, Xuong Dien received the Good News from a very early age, possibly in 1627 – on the way Father Dac Lo preached from Ba Lang to Thang Long.
According to the documents left by Father Dominic Khanh – the parish priest of Xuong Dien, the first church Xuong Dien was built in 1696, during the reign of Bishop Cao. In 1797, the Holy Father issued a decree to establish the parish named Xuong Dien and sent Father Han to take care of Xuong Dien parish at that time.
Due to the influence of the sea landslide, the present church is no longer present. The current church was built in 1960.
In 2005, a big event for Xuong Dien Parish. After 49 years of absence from the parish priest directly at the parish. Bishop Joseph Hoang Van Tiem assigned Father Joseph Vu Phu Thinh to be the parish priest of Xuong Dien Parish.
Until 2009, due to the pastoral needs of the Diocese, Bishop Joseph Hoang Van Kiem sent Father Joseph to be the parish priest of Trung Linh Parish and sent Father Dominic Nguyen Van Thien and Father Joseph Dinh Quang Thanh to be the Father. Pastor and Vice Father of Xuong Dien Parish. Until 2012, Bishop Joseph Hoang Van Kiem sent Father Dominic Nguyen Van Dai to be the assistant pastor of Xuong Dien Parish and the responsibility of Tan An to replace Father Joseph Dinh Quang Thanh – now the parish priest of Ninh My Parish.
Currently, Xuong Dien parish has about 41,000 members, of which there are 3 odd families: Peter, Sacred Heart and Paul.
Source: Collected internet.