Vocations in Viet Nam Are Thriving!

[Luigi]

I"ve heard occasional references to this over the past few years. For instance, a Redemptorist told me that their Vietnamese province is booming. And I know the Cistercians are booming over there to the point that they're sending monks to the US as fast as their government will issue visas (which is not very fast). 

Here's an article by a Dominican friar (in solemn vows, still studying for the priesthood). He and another friar are teaching English to Vietnamese Dominicans this summer. In their off time (Sundays), they visit Dominicans in their area. The numbers they mention make me jealous, but they also make me rejoice. 

"We teach six days a week and have Sundays off, but each Sunday we go on a trip. In many of our day trips we visit different convents of Dominican Friars and Sisters. It has truly been a blessing to go on many of these trips and see the large number of Dominicans in Vietnam. Two weeks ago we went on a day-long trip and made many different stops along the way. Our first stop was to a convent of Dominican Sisters. We attended the Mass of Profession of Perpetual Vows where 17 sister committed themselves to Christ for the rest of their lives. It was a beautiful ceremony, and we were happy to be in attendance. This was one of the many convents we have visited in Vietnam. If I heard the friars correctly there are over 15 congregations of Dominican SIsters in Vietnam. Last week we visited a convent where they had more sisters in formation than they did in perpetual vows! 

The friars are not doing too bad themselves. After attending the vows ceremony we went to the novitiate for the friars. We were able to spend some time with the novices and had a short conversation with them. This year the Vietnamese Province has 22 novices and they were shocked when we told them we had six novices in our novitiate. We had to explain to them that six novices in one class is a pretty good number in the United States. In August these 22 men will make their first profession, so please keep them in your prayers. Also located on the same compound as the novitiate is a shrine to St. Martin de Porres. The church itself was pretty small, but the compound had a large outdoor area with many benches that act as pews during big ceremonies. One of the friars told me they get over 10,000 people to visit the shrine on the Feast of St. Martin de Porres!"

[Yaatee]

If you look at photos of young religious in the US, you see a lot of young women religious who look as if they could be from Vietnam, too.  Especially in cloistered communities where many of the younger religious are Asian.

[Thi Truong]

Honestly, there are having much of youth people would like to become a religious who are uncounted here!

The requirements of some congregations in Vietnam that they have to be younger than 25 years old or they have to pass the examinations with higher score than other to enter the formation program. The competition of those exams is quite high. Some of them who were not able to pass know foreign language can find the other chance in foreign congregations or dioceses. The rest come back home and get married!

I know the American Dominicans in above article. I saw them when I was living in Vietnam, in the Mai Khoi Priory. I saw they was surprised with the number of Dominican fairs presented in a solemn Holy Mass to thank the Lord for the election of the new prior provincial. However, it is not enough!

[NadaTeTurbe]

31 minutes ago, Thi Truong said:

Honestly, there are having much of youth people would like to become a religious who are uncounted here!

The requirements of some congregations in Vietnam that they have to be younger than 25 years old or they have to pass the examinations with higher score than other to enter the formation program. The competition of those exams is quite high. Some of them who were not able to pass know foreign language can find the other chance in foreign congregations or dioceses. The rest come back home and get married!

I live in France, in a city with a big vietnamese community. A friend had a cousin who came to live in France, so she could enter one of our  local congregation, who have a lot of Vietnamese members. She lived in France during two years before having her paperwork done, and then she entered the congregation. I think she was more than 25. I had always wondered why she entered religious life in France and not Vietnam. Probably that. 

[Thi Truong]

That is just one of the reasons such as they do not feel suitable with the pastoral orientations, spiritual of the local congregations or any other reason. However, in our belief, everything is the placements of Lord.

I am an example. After some working years, I discerned my vocation that devoting to God to become a religious priest but I was older than 25 years old and I have not had college graduation (most important requirement) so I could not be admitted to any congregations or Orders in Vietnam. So I looked for other opportunities in foreign countries where they need the enthusiasm man like me. I am luckier than others because I know a little bit English to communicate with the vocation directors easily. I was accepted by some congregations but I chose to become a aspirant of Augustinians in Belgium.

I know some congregations are looking for vocations in Vietnam. I have plan to create a network or website to present them to potential candidates in Vietnam who are interested in re-evangelization in Eastern countries.

[NadaTeTurbe]

Are you speaking about the Augustinians of the Assumption in Belgium ? 

[Thi Truong]

7 hours ago, NadaTeTurbe said:

Are you speaking about the Augustinians of the Assumption in Belgium ? 

Sorry, I was talking about Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A) instead of A.A (Assumptionists)

[Hanh Pham]

On 5/25/2016 at 2:26 AM, Thi Truong said:

That is just one of the reasons such as they do not feel suitable with the pastoral orientations, spiritual of the local congregations or any other reason. However, in our belief, everything is the placements of Lord.

I am an example. After some working years, I discerned my vocation that devoting to God to become a religious priest but I was older than 25 years old and I have not had college graduation (most important requirement) so I could not be admitted to any congregations or Orders in Vietnam. So I looked for other opportunities in foreign countries where they need the enthusiasm man like me. I am luckier than others because I know a little bit English to communicate with the vocation directors easily. I was accepted by some congregations but I chose to become a aspirant of Augustinians in Belgium.

I know some congregations are looking for vocations in Vietnam. I have plan to create a network or website to present them to potential candidates in Vietnam who are interested in re-evangelization in Eastern countries.

Dear father/ brother Thi Truong, I'm a Vietnamese, 33 years old, in Saigon now. Occasionally i read your information on this website. I'm impressed by your idea that you will "create a network or website to present them to potential candidates in Vietnam who are interested in re-evangelization in Eastern countries". I have the same idea with you.

I'm just a student, not a sister. I have lived with sisters in a foreign  congregation when studying in university, but not in the congregation's formation because I don't like that. I have sensed that foreign congregations have much and much dificulties to understand my Vietnamese culture in order to empathize Vietnamese vocations, even when they (sisters) lived in Vietnam.

I have been regretted deeply that many congregations and convents in USA and Europe forced to be closed because of lacking of vocations while a large of numbers vocations in Vietnam is not seeked. If you can read this message, i hope that i can stay in touch with you to talk more about the theme: how to present international congregations and orders to many Vietnamese vocations (in Vietnam). And I also want to know more and more congregations and orders to present to my friends.

Best Regards,

Hanh Pham