Located in a quiet crossroads in District 3, Ky Dong Church is one of the best local churches to visit when coming to Ho Chi Minh City. Its simple design, well combined with modern and traditional Roman style, 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 crossroads 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 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, walk for about 650 meters, or get on 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 between the first and last mass of the day. The church is always open 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 (which means Our Mother of Perpetual Help), 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 a 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 charge of the Duc Me Hang Cuu Giup Parish and helped to organize the parish into a pilgrimage center for Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The weekly pilgrimage, which used to be held on Wednesday, has now been changed to 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. Visiting this church, you can learn more about the religious life of locals.
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 in the middle. The church’s design was simple, with an orange-tiled roof and eggshell-white walls. Next to the main church is a tall bell tower with a similar design. Behind the church is a small garden with green plants and flowers.
The bookstore inside Ky Dong Church
The ground and first floor of the bookstore
A large bookstore called Nha Sach Duc Me is on the church’s campus. It sells a wide variety of Catholic books, statues, pictures, clothes, accessories, and other decorations. The bookstore has two floors. 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 quickly notice an artificial stone cave sitting on the left of the church. The cave is decorated with flowers and has 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, allowing 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 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 mass times, especially on special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
Ky Dong Church on Special Occasions
On regular 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 inside the church, where you can find everything related to Christmas, from ornaments to Christmas cards. Ky Dong Church, therefore, has always been a place worth visiting during Christmas time. It is also a top favorite place for young Saigonese to come and take pictures on this occasion.
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 as tourist attractions, it has its own beauty. Locals visit the church for a piece of peace in their hard-working lives, enjoying its landscape and comfortable silence. If you come to District 3, don’t forget to visit Ky Dong Church.