MSC Vietnam: Pre-Novitiate Acceptance Mass

On April 1 st, 2025, the MSCs in Vietnam joyously welcome Dominic Long Hoang NGUYEN and Joseph Trung Van TRAN to the Community as they were accepted to the Pre-Novitiate Program. Joining this celebration were the MSCs, the OLSH Sisters and the MSC Sisters in Vietnam, Long and Trung’s families and relatives, Jonathan – the pre-novices’ English teacher, and some other friends of the MSCs.

At the beginning of the Acceptance Mass, Fr. Hoang Nguyen – as the Community Superior and Presider, introduced the participants and welcomed everyone to join the Eucharistic celebration to pray for Religious Vocation, particularly pray for Long and Trung in their discerning and searching God’s Will for  their vocation as MSC pre-novices.

In his homily, enlightened by the Words of God (Exod 2:1- 10 and Jn 1:35-42) Fr. Thi Nguyen shared with the congregation, especially with Long and Trung, two points of his reflections: Firstly, the “Divine Assurance” that God promised and fulfilled on those He chose and called to cooperate with Him in his plan; secondly, “the personal formation of Simon Peter” - a journey of Encountering – Understanding - Embracing. Peter’s formation began when he encountered the sincere look of Jesus and was renamed by him; through all the up and down moments together with his teacher, Peter, a shortcoming man yet enthusiastic, understood the way his teacher went through; and Peter came to embrace the mission God called him to fulfil when he met the Risen Lord.

Then Fr. Thi invited Long and Trung trust in the Divine Assurance of God in their life, and open themselves to the Pre-Novitiate formation program, just as Peter did, that they might be able to encounter, understand and embrace God’s will for their life.

After the homily was the Acceptance Ritual, when Fr. Hoang officially accepted Long and Trung to the 2025 – 2026 Pre-Novitiate Program in the MSC in Vietnam. He then entrusted Long and Trung to the care of Fr. Thi – the Pre-Novitiate formator, and asked the congregation to continue to pray for them that they may get the best fruit from this year of formation.

After the Mass, we continued our conversation as we shared together a simple meal with the family spirit.