VietNamNet Bridge – A new exhibition, Living in the Sacraments-Catholic Culture in Contemporary Viet Nam, has opened at the Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology (VME).

Bless him: A statue of Saint Anthony on display at the exhibit.

More than 120 artifacts with accompanying texts, stories and video clips have been included to illustrate Catholicism’s cultural aspects. The visual feast is giving Viet Nam’s Catholic community the chance to open their faith up to the public.

The exhibition concentrates on the northern Catholic communities, such as, Ha Noi, Ninh Binh, Hai Duong and Nam Dinh provinces, but also depicts Catholic communities in other regions of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese overseas, said Vu Thi Ha. She has spent two years researching and collecting artifacts with Director Vo Quang Trong and former director of the museum Nguyen Van Huy.

“I’m not a Catholic follower so I had to find out and learn Catholic terms before collecting the objects,” Ha said.

“During long trips to Catholic communities, we encountered many troubles when collecting marvellous objects such as God’s altar and the Holy Cross. We had to persuade the followers that we could guarantee the safety of all objects.”

Days before the exhibition’s opening ceremony, Ha stayed at Ke Sat parish in Hai Phong port city to borrow a statue of Saint Camilio (1550-1614). The trip proved to be the most testing of the entire project, with locals not wanting to let go of the statue of their revered patron Saint.

With Catholicism, the Patron Saint of a parish helps believers pray to God. Worshipers tend to get attached to their local Paton Saint, which is why it was so difficult for the people of Ke Sat to let their saint go.

Dinh Van Manh, 65, from Kien Lao parish, Nam Dinh city is a trumpet-making expert. Over 400 of his creations have been used in holy ceremonies and rituals.

“When I was 17, I borrowed a trumpet from my parish church to use it as a model to make one of my own,” he said.

“For six months, I tried to make one but threw it away because the sound wasn’t right, I succeeded at trumpet number 21.”

The researchers wanted to gather the sacred paraphernalia of ordinary Catholic life, and when the exhibition wraps up, some of it will stay at the museum, according to former director Huy.

“The exhibition aims to respect the religion and its customs, and we hope that Catholics are proud of it,” he said. “The simplicity of a visual display will help non-Catholic people to understand the religion better.”

Maria Shirley, a visitor from the US said, “I’m not a Catholic but I enjoyed the wonderful objects featuring the religion.”

In combination with the exhibition, the VME organises educational activities for audiences of all ages. Eight video clips featuring rituals and celebrations are available at the showroom. Presentations from Prof Do Quang Hung, Prof Nguyen Hong Duong and Dr Nguyen Van Dao can also be watched at the exhibition.

It will run until next May 10 at the museum in Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Ha Noi.

(Source: Viet Nam News)