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The patron saint of Sa Pa parish is Our Lady of the Rosary. The patron saint's feast is solemnly celebrated on October 7 every year. Parishes in other places all choose a patron saint as the guardian of the parishioners. The celebration of the patron saint's feast in the parishes is often simpler than in the parish, with only the priest coming to celebrate the mass at the church or chapel, and then the parishioners having dinner together. The reason is that the number of parishioners is small, the budget is limited, and the church grounds are small, making it difficult to carry out the flower procession and organize entertainment activities.
Whether the organization is large or small, solemn or simple, the Patron Saint's Anniversary in each parish or church is truly a major holiday of the year for the Mong Catholics. Believers celebrate the Patron Saint's Anniversary to honor their patron saint and pray for God to bestow good things on the community of believers. The Patron Saint's Anniversary Festival contributes to building and strengthening solidarity among believers in the parish or church. This is also an opportunity for collective activities to educate religious lifestyles and promote the propagation of faith.
- Palm Sunday: this is a celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem, when people scattered palm leaves on the road to welcome him. Depending on the Lenten season, this ceremony is held on the Sunday before Easter one week. Previously, Mong parishioners in the parishes had to go to Sa Pa church to attend the ceremony. When they returned, they brought coconut leaves blessed by the priest to place on the altar of God or on the wall of their house. On Palm Sunday the following year, they burned the old leaves and replaced them with new ones. Currently, in parishes with churches, priests come to the place to perform the ceremony. The blessed coconut leaves become sacred objects, carefully kept by believers in their families.
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- Ash Wednesday: This ceremony is held on the first day of Lent in Catholicism. In Lao Cai, Ash Wednesday is held at the parish church or the family church, the priest comes to perform the ceremony and burns the leaves to get the ashes. Then, he sprinkles a little bit on the heads of the believers attending the ceremony (called ash-applying) with a very mysterious gesture. Ash Wednesday takes place at the beginning of Lent to prepare believers for a journey that must be carried out during Lent. In the parishes, the parishioners attend Ash Wednesday in large numbers. They wait for the priest to bless the ashes with the hope that God will grant them a year of peace, happiness, and prosperity. This is a great aspiration of the religious people. Because the Mong people's livelihood is still difficult, when hunger, poverty, illness, and risk are always threats, God's protection and salvation are always the greatest belief in the hearts of the people, even though that belief is illusory and cannot be verified.
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- Adoration Mass: is when parishes, in turn, adorate the Blessed Sacrament on behalf of the Diocese. The core content of the Adoration Mass is that all parishes, on behalf of the Diocese, adorate the Blessed Sacrament throughout the designated day. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament can be organized for each association or parish dependent on the parish, but also set aside time for individuals to come and pray. Adoration is a form of worship of Jesus in the Eucharist, the purpose is not an artistic or cultural performance. However, this ceremony can include cultural and artistic performances of the nation to build human relationships and glorify God.
For the Kinh Catholic region in the Northern Delta, the Adoration Mass is only held at the parish level. But for the Mong Catholics in Lao Cai, the Adoration Week is not only held in parishes and chapels but also in mission stations. In Sa Pa parish, on the day of Adoration, Mong parishioners from all over come to the parish church to attend Mass and pray. The parish organizes the Adoration Mass for the Sa Pa parish on a fixed day in May. Other chapels also hold the Adoration Mass in May but arrange it on a different day so that the priest can come to celebrate the Mass.
During the New Year or other holidays, Mong believers in the villages also go to the church to celebrate. The ones who are most diligent in their religious activities are women, middle-aged people and the elderly. Young men participate less, some go to church but do not pay attention to the ceremony but to meet friends, or because of their duty as Catholics. Some young people go to church in Sa Pa or Lao Cai city mainly to hang out, shop or date to get to know each other.
- Flower offering dance and singing ceremony. In parishes and chapels in the North and Central regions, there has long been a flower offering singing festival in May (the month of flowers) and only girls participate. But in Sa Pa parish, the flower offering dance and singing ceremony is held in May and October every year, with both boys and girls. The churches of Hau Thao and Lao Chai chapels all have flower offering dance and singing teams consisting of both boys and girls, aged 10 to 18. Props for the flower offering dance and singing include paper fans, drums and flower palanquins. The flower offering dance and singing ceremony is usually held on Saturday and Sunday evenings during the month of flowers. The lyrics and melodies of the flower offering dance and singing in Sa Pa parish are mainly taken from hymns. When dancing and singing, the formation is arranged according to the symbols: the Cross (honoring Jesus - the Redeemer); the moon, the star (Mother Mary is the moon, the star of the sea); the anchor (Mother Mary is hope); the letter A and the letter M (the first letter of Ave Maria).
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The costumes worn by the Kinh people in the lowlands during the flower ceremony are pure white and intricately designed. When dancing and singing, the flower children look like angels. However, in Sa Pa parish, the Mong people still wear their traditional costumes. They sing hymns in both the common language and the Mong language, creating a unique cultural feature of the Catholic Mong people here.
In summary, the religious life of the Mong Catholics in Lao Cai has changed a lot in recent years compared to before 1990. The organizational structure of parishes and parishes has been restored and improved. The parish council and the parish council have promoted their role in managing believers and carrying out the tasks of the parish and parish. Religious beliefs are increasingly consolidated; believers have a better understanding of doctrine and canon law; important holidays held in parishes and parishes are lively and rich, attracting a large number of believers to participate. That is why in some places, Catholic believers who had lost their faith and abandoned it have now returned to practice, such as the case of the parish in Phin Ho Thau village (Lao Cai city). Some believers who used to follow Protestantism now see that Catholicism is well-organized, has formal rituals, has a place of worship, and has a priest to take care of them, so they have converted to Catholicism.
On important or ordinary holidays, the parishioners, from the elderly to the children, are very fervent and enthusiastic. They come to the ceremony to show their respect to God, pray for God's blessings, and to relieve their psychological worries about life. That explains why a small community with a small number of followers compared to the population can still exist and develop even in the most difficult times.
3.2. INFLUENCE OF CATHOLICISM ON BELIEFS, CUSTOMS AND SOME AREAS OF SOCIAL LIFE
3.2.1. The influence of Catholicism on traditional beliefs and customs
3.2.1.1. Regarding ancestor worship
The Mong people, according to traditional beliefs, have a religious consciousness of worshiping many gods, the most important of which is the worship of ancestral spirits - a traditional custom that plays an important role in the spiritual life of the people. Before the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Catholics in Vietnam had to give up ancestral worship. This is the most difficult point when the Mong people want to accept Catholicism. They may not worship other spirits, but if they do not worship their ancestors, they always feel guilty towards the deceased.
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Because the belief in ancestor worship “is to worship grandparents and deceased relatives (...) and believe that ancestors will protect their living descendants” [153, p.132]. In the thinking of the Mong people, the living and the dead still have a close connection with each other; today's generation must be grateful and remember yesterday's generation... When there is a big event in the family, it is necessary to "inform" and "ask permission" from the ancestors. The act of descendants holding death anniversaries or dry funerals not only shows filial piety to the deceased but also is an opportunity for children and siblings to gather together, love and protect each other.
The Mong people believe that the ancestors' ghosts are good ghosts that always protect their descendants, but if they are not worshiped carefully and thoughtfully, they may be punished, causing their descendants to become sick, have bad business, and encounter many risks. However, the Mong people who follow Catholicism must accept giving up ancestor worship to worship God. This is a difficult decision, a concern and worry for the people. Therefore, even though some people have been Catholics for a long time, they still worship their ancestors on death anniversaries and holidays.
Currently, the Catholic Church allows believers to set up ancestral altars. This policy meets the psychology of the followers, because for them, ancestor worship is still very profound. At the same time, this policy is also part of the "cultural integration" strategy of the Catholic Church of Vietnam. In Lao Cai, it is shown that some Mong Catholic families set up ancestral altars under the altar of God. On holidays, they prepare offerings to their ancestors according to traditional customs. Obviously, Catholicism has made adjustments to adapt to local culture. However, according to the author's sociological investigation, most Mong Catholic families do not set up ancestral altars. The reasons for this phenomenon are: (i) they have long since abandoned ancestral worship and cannot return because they think that even if they worship their ancestors, they will not return; (ii) they do not know the prayers and how to perform them; (iii) the previous generation did not worship, and neither will the next generation; (iv) Catholics only worship God. However, when mentioning their ancestors, they still wholeheartedly respect, admire and believe that in the other world, their ancestors still exist and influence the lives of their compatriots.
3.2.1.2. For Shamanism and the worship of gods/demons
Shamanism is one of the most widespread and profound forms of religion in the traditional Hmong community. “Shamanism is a specialized form of religion, with professional religious practitioners called shamans - people who are considered to have the ability to cast spells to put people into a trance state,
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directly communicate with the gods” [153, p.330]. The Mong people call the shaman Chi Nenh/Txi Nenh . They are everywhere, in every village. Small villages have a few Chi Nenh, large villages have more than a dozen. According to the traditional beliefs of the Mong people, Chi Nenh have the ability to communicate with the “other world”. They “go to” the “other world” to find and lure the souls of sick people back. In addition, they also do fortune telling, find lost property for those who have lost it, and preside over religious ceremonies of the community. Not only that, Chi Nenh also understand the reasoning and customs of the Mong people. They play an important role in the traditional society of the Mong people. In the village, any family that has a big event such as getting married, funerals, building a house, or worshiping, all consult with Chi Nenh . On average, each family invites a shaman to come a few times a year to ward off bad luck, catch ghosts, exorcise evil spirits, tell fortunes, etc.
Besides, for generations, Mong people have worshiped many gods/demons, especially good gods/demons. They are the guardians of their unpredictable and risky lives. From big events such as childbirth, weddings, funerals, building houses to farming, planting, and raising animals, they pray to the gods/demons for help, to have "good health and prosperity", prosperity, and good business. Every time the village organizes the Gau Tao festival or the New Rice Festival, Mong people turn to their ancestors, preserve customs, pass on culture, and connect the community.
When the Mong people converted to Catholicism, all of the above no longer existed. According to Catholicism, Mong people no longer worship any gods/demons other than God. The first commandment states: “You shall worship only one God above all things.” Here, from an economic perspective, it is somewhat economical, but from a cultural perspective, it is clear that Catholic culture gradually took the place of Mong ethnic culture. Shamans and sorcerers lost their positions in the community. Instead, the people who performed spiritual rituals were priests, ministers, and religious officials. Thus, it can be affirmed that the change in religious beliefs of a part of the Mong people was very clear and decisive. Catholicism replaced shamanism, and priests replaced the spirit in the Mong religious community in Lao Cai.
3.2.1.3. Impact on customs and practices
* Rituals in childbirth
Giving birth is a serious matter, so the Mong people pay great attention to it with many thoughtful rituals. Due to living conditions in the high, rugged mountains, the environment
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The harsh natural conditions combined with many bad customs and limited medical conditions make childbirth and child-rearing risky, with a high infant mortality rate. Therefore, in the Mong tradition, when a family has a pregnant woman, they must hold a ceremony to pray to the gods/ghosts, hoping for blessings for a "safe birth". From pregnancy to childbirth, women must abstain from many things to avoid punishment from the gods/ghosts. Near the date of birth, the Mong invite a shaman to "perform" to exorcise the lunar eclipse ghost, which, according to the ethnic group's beliefs, often takes children. Three days after birth, the family holds a soul-taking ceremony and a naming ceremony for the child. This ceremony is both to pray to the ancestors to bless the child to grow up quickly and to inform everyone in the clan and village about a new member of the family. When the child turns one year old, the parents hold a birthday party for the child. Children who are often sick must be adopted by their parents because the Mong believe that with an adoptive father or mother, their children will be able to rely on them to be healthy, obedient, and grow up quickly.
Catholic Mong people no longer perform the above traditional rituals. During pregnancy, most of them rely on village nurses to examine and advise them on reproductive health. On the day of birth, they go to medical facilities instead of finding traditional midwives and shamans to perform the ceremony as before. Therefore, childbirth is safer. The proactive approach to modern medicine for Catholic Mong people is very encouraging, contributing to reducing bad customs in the lives of the people; it is a positive change in the Catholic Mong community.
The Catholic Mong people in Lao Cai do not perform ghost worshiping rituals during childbirth. The ritual of welcoming a child at birth is elevated to the sacrament of Baptism, which includes giving a name to the newborn. Catholic Mong people believe that in order to have a holy life, humans are created by God to worship Him. A newborn child must receive the sacrament of Baptism to be forgiven of original sin and other sins and to receive supernatural life from God. This sacrament is very mysterious and sacred to those who receive it.
While the Mong people who follow traditional beliefs must hold elaborate ceremonies to name their children, the Catholic Mong people take their children to a priest for a baptism ceremony and then name them. This is usually done one month after the child is born, on the first Sunday of the month. In places where there are churches and priests, the priest will do this. In places far from churches and without priests, the priest will do it.
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The ministers perform the ceremony. The members of the ceremony include the officiant, the child, the biological parents, the adoptive parents (if any) and the godparents. The godparent for a boy is a man in the family, the godparent for a girl is a woman. The person in charge of witnessing must be virtuous, gentle, a good husband and wife, and prestigious in the community. They will be the spiritual godparents of the child from then on.
The ceremony is simple but solemn, witnessed by the community. During the Baptism, the child receives the sign of God when receiving water and the Holy Spirit on his forehead; then receives a white garment and a lighted candle symbolizing purity and being guided by God's light. During the Baptism, the baptized person is given a saint name. In addition to the daily name given by the parents, from now on, the child has an additional saint name (taken from the name of a saint). Boys often take the saint name of their biological father, girls take the saint name of their biological mother, for example, in the parishes of Lo Lao Chai village and Ly Lao Chai village (Sa Pa), men often take the saint name of Micae, women take the saint name of Teresa; in the parish of Hau Thao (Sa Pa), men take the saint name of Joseph, women take the saint name of Maria. Their children are named accordingly. Other parishes and mission points are similar. Because in a Catholic village there are usually only one or two main clans, sometimes the entire clan (including all men) has the same saint name, following the patron saint of the religion. Because there is only one saint name, to distinguish one person from another, everyone must call each other by both the saint name and their everyday name. This is different from the Kinh people in the past, who only called each other by their saint name, no longer using the names given by their parents (the case of Anre Phu Yen, for example). Keeping the original Mong name is a positive cultural element, and also a unique feature of the Catholic Mong people. In the Baptism ceremony, the celebrant uses the Mong language to perform the ceremony. The books used for the sacrament are all translated into Mong to facilitate the practice of the ritual. The interweaving of Catholic culture with Mong culture is clearly expressed. The Catholic Mong people in Lao Cai are both influenced by exogenous factors and consciously maintain their traditional identity.
During the time when there was no parish priest, the Catholic Mong people in Lao Cai could not perform the sacrament of Baptism in the church. They only read the scriptures, praying to God to bless the child to be healthy, grow up and receive God's grace. After that, the family named the child, baptizing him after the father (for boys) and after the mother (for girls). Although it was not solemn, they believed that doing so would also be acceptable to God.
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accept. This shows the steadfastness of the Mong people who follow Catholicism in unavoidable circumstances. Of course, in that situation, many people lose faith because they think they cannot become Catholics without a priest to perform the sacrament of Baptism. Therefore, when there is a parish priest, many people who previously lost faith come to the church to ask to be baptized to return to Catholicism.
From 2012 to now, each year in Lao Cai, on average, nearly 200 Mong children are baptized, which means an increase in the number of believers, because after this ceremony, the child is considered a Catholic. Through the sacrament of baptism, the parish priest also knows the number of new believers in the area.
* Wedding ceremony (Yungz cưs)
Marriage is an important event in a person's life. Therefore, like many other ethnic groups, the Mong people attach great importance to the wedding ceremony. When boys and girls reach the age of marriage, they get to know each other. When they find a match, the boy talks to his family about marrying the girl.
The traditional wedding of the Mong people consists of three main rituals: the engagement, the wedding ceremony and the wedding ceremony. Usually after the harvest, the groom's family chooses a good day and month and asks two matchmakers to bring gifts to the bride's family to propose. When the bride's family agrees, everyone checks her age, cuts a chicken and looks at its feet to predict good or bad omens. This is very important, deciding whether the marriage will take place or not. If the chicken feet are good, everything is considered to be approved by the ancestors. After that, the two families discuss the wedding ceremony. The dowry includes rice (about 50 kg), wine (about 30 liters), pork (about 50 kg), and cash (about 40 million VND). In the past, the bride's family asked for dowry in silver, but now it is mainly cash. After agreeing on the dowry, the two sides set a date and organize the wedding. Marriage is a common matter of the family, so everything must be approved by the head of the family. In case the bride's family is too poor, the whole family will help to have a little dowry when she steps into the husband's family. A few days after the wedding, the bride is reminded by the head of her husband's family about the taboos, customs, and family traditions of her husband's family so that she can be responsible for carrying them out and teaching them to her future children.
For the Catholic Mong people, marriage is elevated to the sacrament of Matrimony, solemnly celebrated in a church (or chapel) before the community, which is different from the traditional wedding ceremony of the Mong people. When the couple reaches adulthood, they get to know each other, love each other, and decide to marry each other.