Church of St. Joan of Arc

Church of St. Joan of Arc is one of the churches with the best location in Ho Chi Minh City, as it is surrounded by a six-way junction of three streets lined with old trees and two parks. The church’s attractions include the worship of a Christian female saint and its construction on the site of a previous Chinese graveyard.

Despite the lack of knowledge regarding the design and architecture of the Church of Saint Joan of Arc, many scholars think that Father Huong was responsible for its creation. The red roof tiles create a perfect cross. The top of the cross is located at the altar of Jesus in the rear of the church, while the bottom of the cross is located at the main entrance.

The exterior of the church appears spiritual and a bit mysterious due to the choice of pale orange paint. The largest and tallest bell tower at Nga Sau Church is in the center, while the two smaller towers are on the flanks. Only the tallest tower contains bells; the others are likely decorative and lack bells. Three of the cloisters have green domes. On top of the middle tower are a green steeple, a spire, and a white cross. Each of the little towers is topped with a green cloister dome and a miniature angel statue with trumpet. The church holds five bells that were cast in 1930. Each bell was given the name of a priest or devotee. The bells consist of Paul Van, I.B., Phong, and others.

The outside stone wall and square embellishments make the church’s base appear sturdy. The arched main entryway is adorned with a cross, flower, and leaf motif made of wrought iron. The two columns with magnificent ornaments on their tops fit nicely with the wrought iron designs, providing a contrast to the stone, square, and circular decorations on the front.

Above the main entrance is a statue of Saint Joan of Arc, who is regarded as a French heroine for her significant contributions during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years’ War. On the walls of the towers are numerous louvers, ensuring that the towers are always well-ventilated.

From one side, the church is a couple hundred meters in length. The upper section, which corresponds to the horizontal line of the true cross, features two entrances with arches. On the left (or right) sidewall are ten columns and eight windows with metal grids and eight arched windows.

Inside the church, the columns, walls, and vault are colored with white and light blue paint. The most identifiable aspects of Gothic architecture are round arches, stained glass windows, and the rib vault.

The church features two rows of square pillars with round arches in between. Two rows of columns separate the church into three sections. The right and left sides are narrower than the center, and their ceilings are typical and flat. The central section, which is the largest, contains lovely vaults.

A number of records indicate that the church was built in the Gothic style. However, architect Nguyen Minh Hoang believes that Roman architecture affected the structure. He distinguishes the Roman architecture’s barrel vault from the Gothic architecture’s rib vault. The lines on the vault are merely decorative and have no structural significance.

In the church’s rear are a wall-mounted cross, an altar, and statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus atop two pillar pedestals.