Parishioners at the Immaculate Conception Church in the Thai village of Sangkhomphatthana will enjoy their Easter celebrations under a brand new roof – the final part of a long-running renovation project that will keep them dry in the rainy season and cooler in the heat.

Fr Truong Le SVD said the church, located near the Mekhong River bordering Laos, had been in need of a few roof and ceiling ever since he arrived in the parish four years ago, but a damaging storm during the rainy season made the project more urgent.

“The rainy season has always been a challenge with the old church,” Fr Truong said.

“There was always a leak here and there.

“The previous rainy season did quite a bit of damage with a big storm that flooded the English/computer room. Thank God none of the electronics was damaged because I don’t know where we’d get the money for replacements.

“That last storm was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I paused other projects to find ways to fix the roof and ceiling.”

Fr Truong said the funds for the project were raised with the help of the Chicago Province Mission Office, which financed a large part of the project, as well as donations from local villagers.

“When I announced the project about the roof and ceiling, the villagers were more than ecstatic,” he said. “They campaigned for the project by coordinating the village to do merits, or good deeds for a certain cause, with a ‘money tree’. Other nearby villages, where we had helped with the outreach program, also set up their ‘money tree’ for our church. In the end, the financial need was met.”

The villagers also ended up providing the skills and expertise to build the new roof and ceiling.

“It was difficult to find contractors to travel to our village to consider the project because the church is far from any city centre,” he said.

“Through consultation, the parish council and I felt that the village had more than capable skilled workers – why look anywhere else?

“In the end, the project worked out beautifully for the church and the village as a whole.”

Fr Truong said the parish had many small celebrations along the way, marking various milestones in the project and the rededication and blessing of the church will take place in the Easter season.

He said the parishioners are delighted with the finished product, which has enhanced their worship experience.

“Just the aesthetic alone is pleasing to the eyes,” Fr Truong said. “We don’t have to keep looking at the dinged, mould-filled ceiling, or run around worrying about leaks in the roof.

“This project completes the renovation of the church as a whole. With the new roof, ceiling and added insulation, the worship experience has never been better. It’s cooler during the ‘hot and hotter’ seasons we have here in Thailand.

“Through the whole experience, I can sense a renewal in the life of the parish. This was also the first project that I delegated everything to the parish council and the parishioners. They felt that it was their church, and they were responsible for it. They were more than happy to lend a hand.”

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: The church in the Thai village of Sangkhomphatthana with its new roof.

MIDDLE LEFT: The new ceiling and roof will keep parishioners dry in the rainy season and cooler in the hot weather.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Fr Truong in the church's computer room, where he teaches young people computer skills. The room's old roof was extensively damaged in a storm during the rainy season.