Located in a quiet crossroad in District 3, Ky Dong Church is one of the best local churches that you should pay a visit when coming to Ho Chi Minh City. With a simple design well combined with modern and traditional Roman style, Ky Dong Church will bring you a peaceful feel in the middle of bustling Saigon.
How to Get to Ky Dong Church
Address: 38 Ky Dong, Ward 9, District 3
The entrance of Ky Dong Church
Sitting at the crossroad of Ba Huyen Thanh Quan and Ky Dong Street, Ky Dong Church is 2 kilometers away from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. It may take you about 10 minutes to get there from Ben Thanh Market by motorbike. You can also take the bus route 65 from New World Hotel to Nga Sau Dan Chu Roundabout then walk for about 650 meters, or get on the bus number 149 to go straight from Ba An Pagoda to Ky Dong Church. However, it may take you about 20 to 30 minutes to get there by bus.
Ky Dong Church’s Mass Schedule
Monday – Friday: 5 AM, 6 AM, 6 PM
Saturday: 5 AM, 6 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 5 PM, 6:30 PM
Sunday: 5 AM, 6:30 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM, 3:30 PM, 5 PM, 6:30 PM, 8 PM
If you are not a Catholic, you can still visit the church during the time between the first mass and the last mass of a day. The church is always opened for everyone to visit and enjoy the peaceful vibes here.
A Brief History of Ky Dong’s Church
Ky Dong Church was built in 1949 and inaugurated on August 3rd, 1952. The church belongs to Duc Me Hang Cuu Giup Parish (literally means Our Mother of Perpetual Help) which was established in 1963. This parish is considered to be quite new compared to other parishes of the Diocese of Saigon including Cho Dui Parish and Tan Dinh Parish. A priest from the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer was sent to become Duc Me Hang Cuu Giup Parish priest because this parish was a part of the congregation.
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer first came to Vietnam in 1925. In Ho Chi Minh City, the Redemptorists took charged of the Duc Me Hang Cuu Giup Parish and helped to organize the parish to a pilgrimage center for Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The weekly pilgrimage, which used to be held on Wednesday, is now changed to be on Saturday.
Ky Dong Church’s Architecture
In the church, there is a small stone stele with these words written “TABERNACULUM DEI CUM HOMINIBUS”, which can be roughly translated as “This is the house of God among men”.
With a simple design, Ky Dong Church is a nice combination of modern and traditional Roman style. Coming to this church, you could understand more about the religious life of locals here.
Outside of Ky Dong Church
Front of Ky Dong Church
The bell tower of Ky Dong Church
Coming through the main gate, you could immediately feel the peaceful vibes from the spacious, airy campus and a quiet, elegant church standing right in the middle. The church’s design was simple with orange tiled roof and eggshell-white walls. Standing next to the main church is a tall bell tower with a similar style of design. Behind the church, there is a small garden with green plants and flowers.
The bookstore inside Ky Dong Church
The ground and first floor of the bookstore
There is a large bookstore called Nha Sach Duc Me inside the church’s campus. A wide variety of Catholic books, statues, pictures, clothes, accessories, and many other decorations are sold in the bookstore. There are two floors of the bookstore. On the ground floor, various books, statues, pictures, and accessories are displayed. Meanwhile, the second floor is only for clothes.
A statue of Our Lady
Wandering around the campus, you must easily take notice of an artificial stone cave sitting on the left of the church. The cave is decorated with flowers with a statue of Our Lady inside. Many locals come there to pray for themselves and their families.
Inside of Ky Dong Church
An open space inside the church
The space inside the church is quite open with many wooden doors and colorful glass windows, making it possible for the sunlight to enter the room. Similar to the outside of the church, the inside is decorated simply with a Jesus statue, a picture of Mary, and other statues of other Saints. Despite being quite large, the space inside is not enough for a great number of followers coming to Ky Dong Church during the mass times, especially on special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
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Ky Dong Church on Special Occasions
On normal days, Ky Dong Church is not as crowded or much visited as other famous churches in the city, but it has become one of the must-visit churches during the Christmas holiday. The church on such a special occasion is usually decorated with many colorful lights, Christmas trees, and nativity scenes.
One of the most attractive things is the Christmas market taking place inside the church, in which you can find everything relating to Christmas ranging from ornaments to Christmas cards. Ky Dong Church, therefore, has always been a worth-visiting place during Christmas time. It is also a top favorite place for young Saigonese to come and take pictures on this occasion.
Read more on The Best Churches in Ho Chi Minh City.
Summary of Ky Dong Church in Ho Chi Minh City
Although Ky Dong Church is not as famous as the Notre Dame Cathedral and Tan Dinh Church when it comes to tourist attractions, this church has its own beauty. Locals visit the church for a piece of peace in their hard-working life, enjoying its landscape and comfortable silence. If you come to District 3, don’t forget to pay a visit to Ky Dong Church.
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