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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-10-16 Daily Xml
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Church of Our Lady of the Boat People

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:44): When I attended the church of Our Lady of the Boat People opening in Pooraka in September this year, I was reminded of the important history and connection between Vietnamese Catholics and Australians. In Australia, freedom to practise religion may be taken for granted in our free state, but for many Vietnamese Catholics in Vietnam it is not.

On 30 April 1975, the North Vietnamese communists overran South Vietnam, and many practising Catholics were persecuted. They were no longer welcome to practise and needed to find refuge further afield. Australia warmly welcomed and accepted hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees and migrants who now proudly call this country home.

The Vietnamese Catholic community have a 40-year history in South Australia. In 1979, the community started, and there were only about 70 refugees who supported each other as they tried to find their place in their new home. Although welcomed, they were unable to find solace within the existing community and felt isolated by the barrier of culture and language. Over the years, the community continued to come together and supported new arrivals by consoling them and sharing meals of tradition.

A dream arose of acquiring their own space, so they started working tirelessly to raise money through fundraising, community contributions and labour. They eventually achieved this dream. In 1995, despite all the challenges that came from every direction, they built their first hall. Over the years, it had been used as a place of worship and for other social purposes, including accommodating almost 40 groups from different ages and spiritual backgrounds. Eventually, as the community continued to grow, they began to outgrow their hall, and the original dream of having a proper and separate space for worship and another space for social, cultural and religious activities had been rekindled.

They had a dream to convert the first hall into a church and alongside it build a second multipurpose community hall. Once again, the community worked hard and raised money, until five years ago the new church and hall development began. Today, the new $6 million St Joseph's Hall and the reborn Church of Our Lady of the Boat People is complete. It seats 1,200 people. The name, the Church of Our Lady of the Boat People, honours the Virgin Mary. She is their protector and patron, keeping them safe on their dangerous journey in the sea.

The church features architectural waves at the entrance, reminding the community of the journey Vietnamese refugees made to arrive in Australia. The interior includes features reflecting elements of Vietnam, including fans and bamboo walls, characteristics of traditional Vietnamese design. I was proud to attend the opening of the Church of Our Lady of the Boat People and the blessing of St Joseph's Hall. Being part of the celebrations and seeing the original congregation members share their experiences and hard work with younger Vietnamese Australians gave me much joy.

The Vietnamese Catholic community have faced many challenges throughout their history but have never given up. They have continued to grow, support each other and teach the youth about their culture so they can continue the great work that has been done before.

I want to acknowledge and congratulate the Vietnamese Catholic community for their momentous achievements and for successfully facing every challenge head-on. Thank you to all current and past leaderships and all who have raised money and contributed labour for the community over the past 40 years. This is another way Vietnamese Australians are contributing to our positive multicultural community in South Australia. I wish them many long years in their new church.

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