The Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Savannakhet, Laos is one of two Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Apostolic Vicariate of Savannakhet.
Sharing equal status and privilege as the seat of a bishop, co-Cathedrals are relatively rare outside of Europe (especially outside of Italy), but St. Theresa's was granted a co-equal place of honor with St. Louis Cathedral in Thakhek, Laos by Pope Pius XII in 1958.
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| the Marian Grotto at St. Theresa's |
Built in the 1920s while Laos was still a part of French Indochina, the cathedral is one of the largest in the country. As the largest Catholic church in Savannakhet, it stands as a landmark and a testament to the Christian community in a predominantly Buddhist country.
Like in neighboring Vietnam, religion was never discouraged when Laos became a Communist country. Though the Catholic community here is smaller than in Vietnam, it is still a vibrant and thriving community.
I entered the historic old church to look around.
The crucifix behind the alter had been outlined with neon lighting depicting a tree. A Christmas tree, perhaps? It was a bit late in the season, but I wondered if the diocese was still celebrating in some way.
The co-cathedral was a peaceful, quiet place in this already quiet city, but it cheered me up quite a bit. It had been something of a rough day, but I took solace in the quietude of the beautiful old church.
I always try to look on the bright side of things, and the bright side today is that I can at least take some pictures and create a post for one of my side project blogs, Stained Glass Travel, which is all about visiting beautiful churches around the world.
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