THANH-HOA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of — It is located in Vietnam and comprises the Annamite province of T.-H. and the Laotian province of Samnuu, or Hua-phan, whose combined area is 21,000 sq. km., with a population of 1,700,000 inhabitants.
It was erected on 26 April 1932 by detachment from the Apostolic Vicariate of Phat-Diem and entrusted to the Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris. The principal ethnic group is the Annamite. There are other, less numerous groups, such as the Mong, Tay, Man, Mao, Kha, Laotians, etc. The Annamites practice the cult of ancestors and spirits. The Laotians are Buddhists and attached to their bonzes. They are less active than the Annamites, more careless, and readily migrate from one place to another. For these reasons, the work of evangelization in the Laotian region (Hua-phan) is more arduous and slower; the neophytes are less ready to learn and to practise the Christian religion properly. Despite this, progress has not been lacking. Throughout the vicariate there are small groups of Protestants, numbering only a few hundred.
On 19 March 1627, Fr. Alessandro di Rhodes, S. J., landed with Fr. Pietro Marques at the port of Cua-bang (the present vicariate of T.-H.), which he named Port of St. Joseph, since that day was the feast of the saint. To the crowd eager to admire the merchandise brought by the Portuguese, the missionary spoke about the true path to happiness, and even before disembarking, two educated persons had decided to receive Baptism. Two months later, Fr. de Rhodes had already baptized two hundred pagans. Today there are 60,443 Catholics, with 6,162 catechumens; 54 national and 48 foreign priests; 17 national brothers; 67 national and 17 foreign sisters; 26 major seminarians; 54 elementary schools; one secondary school; 8 hospitals; 6 dispensaries; 11 orphanages; and one leprosarium.
At present, the entire Annamite province (T.-H.) is controlled by the Vietminh, while the Laotian province (Sam-nua), being cut off from the jurisdiction of the Ordinary of T.-H., is governed by an apostolic administrator.