Phú Cường: missionary action courses to proclaim the Gospel
by J.B. Vu
The Diocese is promoting meetings to strengthen community-based evangelisation. Pastoral and social work among Catholics and non-Catholics helps share the faith and develop ties of friendship. The Church provides basic health and educational services to poor people.
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) – The diocese of Phú Cường, which is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City (southern Vietnam), has organised short courses in missionary action to help spread the Good News among the faithful of the community.
The diocese has 120 priests and 91 lay people involved in the work of evangelisation. Catholics are 131,345 out of a population of 2,880,328.
Its major seminary has eight seminarians from various communities who participate in pastoral work in contact with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
For Mgr Joseph Nguyễn Tấn Tước, coadjutor bishop of Phú Cường, the goal “is to get deeper into the life of the community” through “pastoral activities and field experiences of missionary work”.
For this purpose, “five regular plus two reserve classes have been organised for seminarians to deepen their understanding of missionary methods,” he added. Preparatory work for future priests can work “if they learn how to serve others”, combining study and practical witness.
Most people in the Diocese of Phú Cường are poor with limited education. One of the tasks of the Church is to provide basic schooling to children as well as medical and health care to both Catholics and non-Catholics.
“Catholics must help non-Catholics,” Paul Cường, from Lạc An Parish, told AsiaNews. “They must maintain cordial relations with people from other communities and in the workplace.”
It is necessary to look at the missionary path through the “eyes of Jesus” and “share the faith” to “develop relations of friendship” with everyone, a seminarian said, including local authorities.
The diocese has 120 priests and 91 lay people involved in the work of evangelisation. Catholics are 131,345 out of a population of 2,880,328.
Its major seminary has eight seminarians from various communities who participate in pastoral work in contact with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
For Mgr Joseph Nguyễn Tấn Tước, coadjutor bishop of Phú Cường, the goal “is to get deeper into the life of the community” through “pastoral activities and field experiences of missionary work”.
For this purpose, “five regular plus two reserve classes have been organised for seminarians to deepen their understanding of missionary methods,” he added. Preparatory work for future priests can work “if they learn how to serve others”, combining study and practical witness.
Most people in the Diocese of Phú Cường are poor with limited education. One of the tasks of the Church is to provide basic schooling to children as well as medical and health care to both Catholics and non-Catholics.
“Catholics must help non-Catholics,” Paul Cường, from Lạc An Parish, told AsiaNews. “They must maintain cordial relations with people from other communities and in the workplace.”
It is necessary to look at the missionary path through the “eyes of Jesus” and “share the faith” to “develop relations of friendship” with everyone, a seminarian said, including local authorities.
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