Hanoi – Facilities for the disabled, schools, parishes, missionary centers. These are the places visited in various dioceses of Vietnam from February 10 to 16 by a delegation of the Pontifical Mission Societies of France, composed of Bishop Georges Colomb, National Director, and Georges Delrieu, Secretary General, accompanied by Nathalie Leconte, executive assistant.
A visit to learn about the projects supported by fundraising, but above all to meet the eyes of those who are welcomed and cared for, and to shake the hands of those who take care of others every day. The visit began at the archdiocese of Hanoi, where Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien gave a presentation of the archdiocese, highlighting the presence of approximately 250 priests, most of whom are young or middle-aged.
The second stop in Hanoi was a visit to the community of the Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross. Founded in 1662 in Vietnam by French Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte, the congregation is dedicated to active apostolate, drawing inspiration from meditation on the passion of Jesus. The community visited by the PMS delegation is composed of approximately 170 nuns and 30 postulants. They run a facility for the disabled and are about to open a missionary center in the mountains of Mung Cat. “The nuns, with patience and infinite love,” says Georges Delrieu, “care for disabled people of all ages. There are material shortages, but the power of their smiles is the real treasure of every day, which overcomes even the most difficult situations.” The project received significant support from a French champagne producer, who decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of a premium edition to support the community.
After Hanoi, the visit continued in the diocese of Da Nang, where, after meeting with Bishop Joseph Duc Ngan, the delegation was welcomed by the community of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, who run a school with 200 children aged 2 to 6. In the city of Hoa Ninh, they then visited a parish located in an economically depressed rural area. It is a small town of 5,000 inhabitants, approximately 1,500 of whom are Catholic. Three hundred of them are young people involved in the activities offered by the parish community. A small community of Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross runs a nursery school and offers missionary activities for girls. The local parish is supported by the PMS, especially for initiatives aimed at the Christian formation of young people.
Another significant stop was the Diocese of Ho Chi Minh, where a meeting with Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang, President of the Episcopal Conference, proved useful in providing valuable information on the reality of the Catholic Church in Vietnam.
“The percentage of Christians in the population is around 8%,” explains Georges Delrieu, “and vocations appear to be declining. Observing the progressive secularisation of the European continent, the Vietnamese Church has decided to invest heavily in the education of children and young people.” At present, there are about 5,000 priests, both diocesan and religious, in the country. In Vinh Cu, the national director of the Vietnamese PMS, Father Jerome Nguyen Dinh Cong, welcomed the French PMS delegation and showed them around a missionary center, which he opened to help the poor in the area. The center is run by a community of six nuns who visit families every day and take care of the children.
Catholic Daily - Catholic news and inspiration. Brought to you by Queen of Peace Productions.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.