Taiwan Docs

Located in Nantun district in Taichung, Nantun Catholic Church was established by Fr. Delos A. Humphrey from the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America in 1963. In the past 50 years, the church has mainly provided the service for the elder and the children in the community, and it is also the good company that accompanies inhabitants in the important moments in their life. The church itself is just like an old friend and also a good neighbor.

In 2004, when the Taichung City Hall encourages the citizenship to apply for land reformation, the fate of the church seems to change. The folk development committee fakes the amount of the participants’ signature while the people are not actually attending the meeting. The committee ignores the church’s contradictory opinion that it doesn’t like to be included in the land reformation from the beginning.

In 2008, when Fr. Khohi Mbwi takes office, this problem becomes even more serious. A 10-meter-wide road would penetrate the church, cutting it apart. After Fr. Khohi Mbwi tries many ways and asks many people to help, this crisis seems to have a turning point, but it still hands in doubt.

In April 2012, the wall of the church is destroyed about six meters by anonymous. This incident gathers the brethren to start a series of protests and marches again. Nowadays, the farmland is mostly changed to buildings. Between minority and majority, between justice and interests, what kind of future does Nantun Catholic Church have?

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