A Fascinating Church

The present Conception Church,
built in front of the original church.  

A short walk away stands St Francis Xavier Church, built for the Vietnamese.

The first Catholic Church in Bangkok was built before Bangkok even existed..  ,
It was built in 1674, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. 

This is where it all started for the Church in my Bangkok, and even before Bangkok was ever established.  Just fascinating!  Why is it so?  

It began with King Narai giving land in 1674 for a church to be built for a community of Cambodian refugees then living in that then remote place.  From such a humble beginning 350 years ago, we have the present day Bangkok neighbourhood named Samsen, a small Catholic stronghold in Buddhist Thailand.  

I have known for sometime that Samsen was important in the history of the local Church.  It just took me 15 years to go and have a look.  Slow, ain't I?  On arriving, I was surprised at what I met.  It was so worth the effort, for it was more than just a look at churches and their history.  It was an experience of something quite unique, for walking around the obviously, well defined, parish area, you got a feel for a long standing Catholic community, which may be small in area, but definitely not inconsequential.  After all, I was amazed to discover two churches in this one confined area of Bangkok.  

I asked myself, why are two churches so close together?  Well, later in history along came Vietnamese fleeing persecution.  They settled in this same neighbourhood of the by then established Bangkok as it was already Catholic and so they could feel at home.  Instead of using the already standing church, they chose to build their own, St Francis Xavier.      

Along with the two churches, I found in this one, distinct part of Buddhist Bangkok, a Catholic cemetery and three Catholic schools.  I do not know all the ins and outs but I can only imagine the history of this community, which today presents like a little Vatican .  

Truly fascinating, for, as you walk around the narrow streets of this nearly ghettoish district, you can feel its distinct history and richness, separate from the Bangkok surrounding it.  For a small Church, the Church in Thailand is ever full of surprises, with its complex and diverse history that makes it what it is today.  A rich and fascinating tapestry that should never be lost.