Displaying items by tag: MSC Vietnam

MSC Vietnam gathering and discernment, photos and reflections

With thanks for Bang for photos, Khoi for texts, Hoa for technical assistance

We discern our identity as human persons and as Christians. We discern our identity as MSCs today.

We are unique individuals, born and nourished in love, called to acknowledge and embrace our strengths and weaknesses, and be transformed toward holiness through our daily relations. 

As MSCs, experienced and believing in an intimate and unconditionally loving God revealed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we willingly and whole-heartedly share these values with everyone through our daily life. 

There were moments that the community sensed fear, anxiety and lostness while at the same time finding cathartic joy, gratitude, trust and hope in the God who is on the same boat with us.

We acknowledge our group vulnerabilities and realise that we need to be healed before we can be sent out in our mission as healers in our context today. We are called to become 'wounded healers’. 

With gratitude to God for His blessings and to the previous MSC generations for their legacy received throughout more than the last twenty years, we desire and confidently commit ourselves to continue the Mission of Christ entrusted to the Congregation by our presence, accompaniment, solidarity and healing in response to the signs of the time. 

Our community is a family in which each member carries within them wounds and fears caused by lack of listening, respect and dialogue; but when being able to share, listened to, pray and dialogue, we sense compassion, support, respect, empathy, generosity, trust, healing, freedom, outbreaking joy, with gratitude. Though imperfect hearts, we are still proud of the beauty in community life by choosing love, and long to become messengers of healing of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

With gratitude, trust, and longing to become true missionaries of the Sacred Heart, we imitate the model of Jesus - the ultimately loving, humble and meek Formator - in the journey of formation and self-formation with the support, listening, dialogue of the whole community. 

Every community member is aware of the responsibility to promote vocation and support the Vocation Committee by our living witness of the Spirituality of the Heart and all our relationships. 

Opening Ritual 23 July 2024 - MSC VN Gathering 

It was a wonderful time for the MSC Vietnam to gather on the night of 23 July at K'Long Don Bosco Centre

to commence their discernment together with a ritual in which Bob Irwin, who was the Australian Provincial when the Australian MSC decided to come and begin the mission in Vietnam, brought in the light into the midst of the gathering.

The light was in turn passed on to each community member. Finally it was passed on to Thoi Tran, who has significantly contributed in the development of the mission for the first twenty years.

He is now representing the Provincial, Stephen Hackett, in his turn lit the discernment candle of the community.

Gene Pejo, on behalf of the Superior General, said a prayer and conferred a blessing on the community to conclude the opening ritual.

Appreciation to Bang Dinh MSC for text and photos.

Retreat for our Vietnamese students with John Mulrooney MSC

John Mulrooney writes from Vietnam.

Our Vietnamese students have been on annual retreat for the past week in Da Lat and will finish tomorrow just in time to start the next gathering/discernment previously reported on the website.

I have been journeying with them on retreat with Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis) as there is such a wealth of  his teaching available to us. We have reflected on God’s love for us; God’s mercy and forgiveness; what it might mean when we ‘live by holiness’; how we have been called and sent; the call to ecological conversion; the call to synodality and the power of love. We have shared stories of MSC who have gone before us and can inspire us to mission.

We have been up in the mountain area of Da Lat and it has been quite chilly and very wet as it is the rainy season. I had hoped to escape some of the Bowral winter while here but I think I brought it with me.

Our students are a wonderful group of young men. Although ‘young’ is a relative term as they are in their 30’s and one is already in his forties. They live very busy lives. Most have been on pastoral placement the past five weeks immediately after finishing studies in the seminary; one day back in Ho Chi Minh city and on the bus to Da Lat; as soon as we finish retreat they go straight into the discernment process with Khoi and his team. No rest for them at all.

We give thanks for each of them and the gifts they bring to our mission to be who God is in the world.

We also pray with them during the reflection time ahead.

A Significant MSC Gathering, Vietnam

Khoi Nguyen msc

This discernment gathering is one of the recommendations of the MSC Australian Chapter April 2023, that the MSC Vietnam Community is recommended to have such a gathering to discern their future together with the support and consideration for future decisions of the new Provincial Leadership Team.

Since February this year, Hien Vu, a Melbourne diocesan priest, and I have been meeting and facilitating a process of communication, preliminary communal discernment at the local level and in small groups, and our discernment as facilitators, and we sense five major areas emerging at this stage:

• Our potentials
• Community life
• Initial formation
• Mission
• Vocations

We have agreed that these will be our ‘launching pads’ into further discernment at this face-to-face gathering, which will be in Vietnamese during the process to accommodate the whole community and respect the local culture. However, these are not our ‘fixed agenda.’ If the community had a sense that differs from these, the discerning community would be open to it. We promise to go where the Spirit leads.  

Therefore, we need lots of prayer and support from the rest of the Province in this process, the process of synodality Pope Francis has called us to embody as church community. We pray that we will be united and challenged to be authentic as a missionary community in Vietnam and beyond.  

And, finally, MSC Vietnam

We have had 10 days of posts on the Australian Province celebration of Jules Chevallier’s Bicentenary of his birth (plus India becoming a province and our two pre-Novitiate  men beginning their Novitiate). 

We finish with a photo story of the Vietnam celebrations.

MSC Vietnam, January News, Graduation, Diaconate, Year-End Party

On Saturday, January 20th, 2024, the Dominican Center of Study joyfully held a celebration of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron of the Center. It awarded bachelor's degrees in Sacred Theology to students graduating in 2023. The MSC Community in Viet Nam had a new graduate: Dominic Thanh Vu Nguyen, MSC.

Present at the event were Father Thomas Aquinas Nguyen Truong Tam, OP - Provincial of the Province of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Vietnam; Father Jannel N. Abogado, OP - Dean of the Faculty of Theology, St. Thomas University, Manila, Philippines; Chief of Office for Coordination of Centers affiliated with the Faculty of Theology, University of St. Thomas, Manila, Philippines; Father Joseph Nguyen Huu Thap, OP – Academic Director of the Dominican Province of Vietnam; Father Joseph Lam Van Sy, OP - Center Director; Additionally, there were the professors, Dominican priests, MSC brothers, superiors of religious congregations that sent their men to study at the Center, as well as parents, relatives, and friends of graduates.

Congratulations to Thanh’s study.

By Thi Anh Pham, MSC

Dominic Nguyen Vu Thanh, MSC, ordained Deacon.

Morning Monday, January 29, 2024, at Immaculate of Mother Mary Parish. The MSC community in Vietnam was blessed and happy to celebrate the ordination to be Deacon of reverence brother Dominic Nguyen Vu Thanh, MSC, by Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of Sai Gon Diocese in Ho Chi Minh City.

The gathering started with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 8:30 AM. The Archbishop presided over the Mass and led the rite of Ordination for the Deacon Dominic Nguyen Vu Thanh, MSC.

The celebration was gathered with all members of Jules's family, the FDNSC and MSC Sisters, the Chevalier lay, benefactors, and some collaborators from the communities of the parish attending the gathering.

The Archbishop congratulated the MSC congregation and expressed his hope and aspiration that the MSC in Vietnam may become an expression of MSC identity as servants of the Lord, spreading the love of God’s Heart everywhere with His people, especially with the Vietnamese.

THE YEAR-END PARTY 

On the following day, January 30th, 2024, the MSC Vietnamese community gathered for a heartfelt Year-End Party celebration at Thu Duc, the scholastic community. The event commenced with a warm and meaningful Mass at 17:30, with Fr. Hoang as the principal celebrant, delivering a profound homily.

The concelebration included MSC, especially Fr. Hien, a diocesan priest from Australia, who graced us with his presence, adding to the spiritual ambience of the occasion. During the Mass, Br. Thanh proclaimed the holy Gospel, enriching his new ministry as Deacon on the liturgy with his presence and participation. The community found solace and inspiration in the sacred rituals, reflecting on the past year's blessings and offering prayers for the journey ahead.

Following the Mass, we shared a simple meal and engaged in a modest program filled with joy and brotherhood. The highlight of the evening was the tradition of receiving lucky money, symbolising blessings and goodwill for the new year. The Year-End Party celebration was one of those special occasions that highlighted the fraternity and love of the MSC Vietnamese community. As we embrace the opportunities and challenges of the coming year, may the spirit of solidarity and hope cultivated in this gathering guide us forward. Ametur!

 By TRUC Xuan Mai MSC & HUY Quang Nguyen MSC

Update on the student's house building in Thu Duc, Vietnam

With thanks to Trieu at present in Vietnam for these vivid night photos – of building, equipment and onlookers

Last night, they concreted the roof of the building.

Here are some photos of the work that they did.

Stephen Hackett visits in Vietnam

Stephen Hackett returned from Vietnam praising the enthusiasm of our MSC confreres. Some pictures, especially his meeting with those in formation,

He will return next year to follow the recommendation of the Chapter, which is to organise a gathering regarding the current and future Vietnamese MSC Ministry

Photo album, 20 years in Vietnam, Mass and Lunch

On The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15th), the MSC Community in Vietnam celebrated its remarkable 20th-anniversary establishment at Thanh Da Church.

Also in this same celebration, 9 of our MSC Brothers made their perpetual profession to consecrate their entire lives to God as MSCs.

Attending the celebration were our Chevalier Family:

the MSC Priests and Brothers (from Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam), the MSC sisters, the DOLSH sisters, Lay MSCs in Vietnam and Mark McGinnity from Australia,

alongside with many other Priests from different dioceses, religious men and women from other Congregations, the MSC's family members, benefactors and friends.

The 9 brothers made their Perpetual Vows before Fr. Provincial Stephen Hackett, MSC, the delegate of the Superior General, with the witness of Frs. Robert Irwin, MSC and Thoi Tran, MSC and in the presence of the whole community gather in the celebration.

After the Communion Prayer, Fr. Chris McPhee and Fr. Stephen Hackett shared their thoughts and hopes for the MSC Vietnam and expressed gratitude to all those who have been contributing to the growth of the MSC in Vietnam.

Shortly after the Mass, we shared with one another a warm and happy agape meal.

We really much enjoyed the company of each other with music, dances, interviews, talk and lots of laughter.

MSC sisters

Andrew Paparang MSC, Indonesia, former director of students

With Mark McGinnitty, MSC Education, John Mulrooney

From the Philippines, James and Gene Pejo, former Provincial and Novice master for many of the Vietnamese students.

By Vietnamese MSC’s Communication Committee

Abzalon’s letter to MSC Vietnam for the 20 years’ celebration.

With thanks to Bob Irwin for photos – but we will post them on the weekend so that visitors have more time to look at them.

Meanwhile, Superior General, Abzalon’s letter.

Rome, August 10^th 2023

To the superior MSC in Vietnam.

To the provincial superior MSC in Australia.

This Jubilee celebration is also a moment to stop, take stock, and start once again to live the present moment, open to the emerging future of the Congregation in Vietnam.

Obtaining official recognition of our MSC Society in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) City is an important sign of God’s blessing on our presence in Vietnam. We are aware of the enormous efforts and patience that have been needed by you in striving for this goal.

Thank you, confreres, for your living witness of perseverance and resilience in the processes you have gone through so far. During these 20 years, you have shown to the whole MSC Society what our Founder said:

           The undertaking may appear foolhardy, but we have signs of God’s blessing. In so far as the arm of God remains with us, confidence is a duty. Our prayer is that the divine Heart of Jesus may guard and protect the Society always. May he give us, as one of his favours, a great fidelity in seeking only what brings him glory. (Jules Chevalier, 1866)

May Our Lady of the Sacred Heart continued to intercede for our mission in Vietnam so that the ministries you carry out may show that “we know and believe the love God has for us”. (1 John 4:16)

Please extend our congratulations to the Laity of the Chevalier Family, benefactors, and members of your families. Once again thank you and may God continue to bless you.

In Corde Jesu,

Mario Abzalon Alvarado Tovar

Andre Claessens, MSC

Paulus Pitoy, MSC

Chris Chaplin, MSC

Humberto Henriquez, MSC

MSC General Leadership Team