tvc.dsj.org | November 21, 2017 VIETNAMESE
NEWS
13
National Convocation of Vietnamese Priests in San Jose
By Father Hao Dinh
Vicar for Vietnamese Ministry
Saint Martin Parish, Sunnyvale
More than 160 priests of Vietnamese
descent across the U.S. gathered in San
Jose from October 23-26. This is their 7th
Convocation, called Emmaus, referring
to the two disciples’ journey to Emmaus
where they encountered the Risen Lord.
The 3rd Emmaus assembly in 2009 also
took place in the Bay Area.
They represent about 1,000 Viet-
namese priests in various dioceses and
religious orders in the U.S. They serve
in urban areas, rural communities, In-
dian reservations, and also in overseas
missions and military bases, etc. Join-
ing them at the convocation were some
priests stationed in Canada, Taiwan,
Thailand and Vietnam.
During the opening Mass at Saint
Joseph Cathedral on October 23, Bishop
Patrick J. McGrath reflected on the an-
cient journeys in the Scripture and the
modern journeys experienced by the
Vietnamese diaspora, and on their pres-
ence that enriches the local churches.
Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City,
chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Subcommittee
on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs, was
a main concelebrant at the liturgy.
The biennial gathering is first and
foremost an opportunity for priests
of Vietnamese heritage to meet and
support one another. They also gather
to listen to speakers and share experi-
ences on issues relevant to their min-
istry. Father Nghi Dinh, a Dominican
teaching at the Assumption University
in Bangkok, Thailand, brought down
the house in speaking of priests as min-
isters of joy. On a more serious topic,
Sulpician Father Hy Nguyen from San
Antonio Assumption Seminary and the
Oblate School of Theology reviewed
the priestly identity and roles, and how
they impact the priest’s ministry.
Ministry to youth also caught the
attention of the priests at the convoca-
tion. A panel helped the participants
to be more conscious of the changing
circumstances and needs of young
people in this day and age. A common
form of youth ministry in Vietnamese
Catholic communities in the U.S. and
other countries is the Eucharistic Youth
Movement (EYM), an international
organization founded in 1915 for the
Christian formation of young people. It
originated in the Apostleship of Prayer
in France, whose membership included
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in her youth.
During the convocation, Bishop So-
lis as well as Bishop Kevin Vann of the
Diocese of Orange celebrated liturgies
with messages of encouragement and
appreciation for Vietnamese priests,
religious and faithful. The concluding
Mass was presided by Bishop Khoi
Nguyen of Qui Nhon, a diocese in
central Vietnam.
Sharing experiences, praying togeth-
er and having a good time at Emmaus
VII helped the participants appreciate
one another and the calling they share
in common. They returned to their min-
istries and communities with a renewed
dedication, remembering that they’re
not alone in their mission.
Vietnam Church to be Rebuilt Half-Century After Destruction
Church Built on Martyr’s Shrine was Destroyed by US Air Attack in 1967
ucanews.com reporter,
Hai Duong, Vietnam
A diocese in northern Vietnam has
begun construction of a church dedi-
cated to Dominican martyrs replacing
the ruins of an earlier one destroyed
during a U.S. air raid in 1967.
Bishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hai
Phong celebrated a special Mass on
Nov. 6 to begin the construction of the
new church at the Hai Duong Martyrs
Shrine in Hai Duong City, some 60
kilometers southeast of Hanoi.
Seventy priests concelebrated at the
Mass attended by 7,000 people from
throughout the country. Representa-
tives from government agencies and
Buddhists were also present at the
event with many offering congratula-
tory flowers.
“Today, 50 years after the destruction
of the martyr shrine, we are happy to
begin the construction of the new church.
This is a historic landmark of our dio-
cese,” Bishop Thien said during the Mass.
The bishop said the event was the
end result of diocesan officials who
Bishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hai Phong and 70 priests concelebrate Mass for the rebuilding
of a new church at the Hai Duong Martyrs Shrine on Nov. 6. (ucanews.com photo)
patiently had dialogue and cooperation
with local government levels for years.
Government authorities helped relo-
cate 43 households who had illegally
set up in the shrine area and granted
the diocese a land-use certificate and
building permission.
Bishop Thien said the shrine was
a place where many Catholics and
missionaries were executed for their
faith. Among them were three Span-
ish Dominicans – Bishops Jeronimo
Hermosilla Liem and Valentino Berrio
Ochoa Vinh, and Father Pedro Almato
Binh – who were killed Nov. 1, 1861 and
Vietnamese Dominican Brother Joseph
Nguyen Duy Khang who was killed on
Dec. 6 of the same year.
The feast day for the four martyrs,
among 117 Vietnamese martyrs who
were canonized on June 19, 1988, by
Saint Pope John Paul II, is observed by
the diocese on Nov. 6.
Local Catholics built a church
dedicated to the martyrs in the shrine
area in 1927. That church, considered
the biggest one in Indochina, was
destroyed by a U.S. air attack on July
1, 1967. Just part of a tower and some
walls remain standing.
Father Joseph Duong Huu Tinh, a
member of the construction board, told
ucanews.com that the new church will
have an area of 464 square meters and
two bell towers of 17.8 meters in height.
A new museum will also be built to
keep the martyrs’ relics.
Father Tinh said the government
requested the diocese to retain a
25-square-meter old wall as evidence
of what occurred during the war.
Bishop Thien said the new facilities
aim to express the local Catholics’ deep
gratitude to the martyrs and show the
heritage of their faith.