In response to the call of Pope Francis to go to the peripheries, the Vietnamese Province of the Society of Jesus established a mission station in Lao Cai province, a mountainous province in the Northwest of Vietnam, along the border with China.

Lao Cai belongs to Hung Hoa diocese, the largest diocese of Vietnam in terms of area which has 252,796 Catholics, 3,3% of nearly 7 million inhabitants (2018). This province is home to 25 different ethnic minorities

In a letter to the whole Province, Fr. Provincial Vincent Pham Van Mam, SJ, announced a new mission of the Vietnamese Province in Lao Cai and his decision to send two Jesuits: Fr. Thomas Aquinas Ta Trung Hai, SJ and Br. Peter Nguyen Quoc Vinh, SJ to work in this newly-established mission.

Fr. Hai was inducted into Van Ban sub-parish on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, by the Vicar Forane of Lao Cai Fr. Peter Pham Thanh Binh during a Mass co-celebrated by 17 priests together with more than 100 Catholics.

The main ministries of Fr Hai and Br Vinh are pastoral ministry, evangelization, and social apostolate.