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Wat Song Yae Catholic Church |
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Located in Ban Song Yae, Amphoe Thai Charoen, the Catholic Church is
actually called Father Dechanel is the first rector of the church. The
church serves villagers of Ban Nong Song Yae, all of who are Catholics.
Initially, the church was a tiny hut, and it was rebuilt many times.
This is the fourth church built in 1947 by wood contribution by the
villagers. Built in Thai traditional style, the country’s biggest
wooden church is 16 metres wide and 57 metres long. It is made of
80,000 wooden roofs, 360 wooden piles in different sizes, floor made
from huge pieces of Malabar ironwood and jamba timber, wooden benches
which can accommodate over a thousand people. The 260 wooden piles in
the middle row are the biggest, with over 10 metres long. The church
bell, 2 feet long in diameters, is in bell tower in Thai style, but it
is separated from the church. Huge amount of remaining wood is enough
for building Ban Song Yae Pittaya School.
How to get there: From Yasothon, use highway 2169, turn left after
passing Amphoe Kud Chum for 7-8 kms, and keep going for 600 metres. The
school and the church share the compound.
History of Ban Song Yae Church. It was said that in 1908, five families
sought a refuge in this area, this was lush jungle, after being hurted
and evicted as they were blamed as zombie. They have met Father
Dechanel and Ombrocio , Ban Se Song, Tambon Chiang Peng, Amphoe Pa Tiew
of Yasothon, and asked them to get rid of devel in their bodies. After
the success, they become Catholics. More people migrated to Ban Nong
Song Yae. In 1909, a small hut was built for Catholic rites and that
was the beginning of Song Yae Church.
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