Bui Mon parish helping families for 60 years
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) – Fr Peter Nguyen Ngọc Vuong, the parish priest in Bui Mon, Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City, told AsiaNews that many activities are being prepared as part of the Caritas new year programme in association with the upcoming World Family Meeting in Philadelphia on 22-25 September.
These activities include charity work with poor families, educational courses with youth in difficulty, and help for migrants, the elderly and children without distinction or religion. Although “we cannot go [to Philadelphia], we will follow the event and cherish the pope’s image and words in our hearts,” Fr Nguyen said.
"The parish has about 16.000 members,” said Sister Anne. “After Vietnam liberalised its economy, many people have come from other provinces. Many families face daily hardships" and Caritas is helping them.
"After setting up courses, we want to create small Caritas groups and communities at the parish level,” some participants said.
“For now, we are working with poor children and elderly people, to help them overcome hard times. The training Caritas gives us is very useful, but we don’t just want to be just social workers, we also want to be witnesses of the love of Jesus. "
Bùi Môn Parish was founded in 1955, when many fled North Vietnam for the south. A centre run by the Association of the Daughters of Mary Mother of the Church was set up the following year.
Initially, the Catholic Association had 15 members; almost all girls aged 16-17 who supported the parish through charitable works. Now the association has 173 members, ranging in age from 30 to 56.
The members are divided into 11 smaller groups working in small communities, which gather each week to pray, read the scriptures and participate in pastoral activities.
In Bùi Môn, Caritas, together with the Commission for Youth Ministry and the Daughters of Mary, provides aid to some 1,500 people, both Catholic and non-Catholic, in remote communities of the parish.
Young volunteers visit and bring essential items to families in Dac Lap district, including 24 families living with by leprosy.
On the 60th anniversary of the parish’s creation, Archbishop Leopodo Girelli, non-resident papal representative in Vietnam, visited the parish and led Mass before thousands of faithful.
"You have lived together for 60 years and this is very valuable,” the archbishop said in his homily. “I urge you to be in communion with the Church, and to work and build this parish. This is where you live, work and bring the Good News to everyone."
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