This application (App) and Website “Giole” (Mass time) is developed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam to help migrants, tourists, business travelers, and charity workers find Mass times, locations, distances, and travel times to the churches they seek.

In today’s globalized economy, labor forces are constantly on the move, always seeking job opportunities for a living and resettlement.

A large number of tourists and business travelers need to attend Sunday Mass in different provinces and countries.

Relief and charity organizations want to accurately locate parishes in remote areas.

The “Gio Le” (Mass Schedule/Mass Time) project is one of the digitalization projects for management, providing services and utilities for religious people, laity, and even others with a way to access, know and participate in Sunday Masses, helping them to keep the law of the Church.

This project is implemented on both the website and the Application. Currently in the testing phase and available for download on CH Play and iOS.

App: Giole.vn

Website: www.giole.vn

1. WEBSITE: www.giole.vn

The website has a lot of information such as a question-and-answer section for common questions: can Saturday evening Mass replace Sunday Mass? What are the cases of omitting Sunday Mass considered a serious sin? Requesting the Sacrament of Matrimony, studying Marriage Catechism, Catechumens…

The website has a feature to receive feedback from users to improve further.

2. “Gio Le” Application (Mass Time App)

Most users are using smartphones, and the internet is covered everywhere in the world, so it will be very convenient for them to download the App only once and use it in any country or region.

The App has been released on CH Play (Android) and App Store (Apple) for free.

Just like the Grab car-hailing app, the “Gio Le” app uses Google services (location, directions) to find churches and mass times, measure the user’s distance and determine the time they want to arrive at the church.

On the App’s homepage, there are 2 important sections:

1. Search box “Tim nha tho gan” (nearby churches): the nearest churches will appear from the user’s location, showing address, distance, and travel time (default is by car)
2. Enter the name of the church you want to choose in the search box
3. Click “Xem gio le” (View Mass Times): detailed information on Mass times and a navigation map will appear
4. The Mass Time Feedback section has a note: for users to help the Admin edit the Mass times for accuracy.

DATABASE

Data information on churches/parishes in major cities has been relatively complete, however, some dioceses still do not have or lack Mass time information.

In addition to churches, Mass times of pastoral centers, pilgrimage centers, religious houses with community Masses, and mission stations will be added.

Data has been entered in the following countries: Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnamese parishes in the US.

In the future, it will be expanded to places where Vietnamese people work, work, and travel: Europe, Canada, South America, the Middle East, and Australia…

Now you can check the mass time and the locations of most churches easily.

This app/website is really helpful for all of us!

Source: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam.