Evangelization in the family and communion with the Church: aims of Mỹ Tho Diocese
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - Active participation in diocesan and local church initiatives, while sharing moments of communion and prayer within the family to "build a solid faith, in a materialistic society" . This is the spirit that animated 2014 in the Diocese of Mỹ Tho in southern Vietnam. In an interview with AsiaNews, the bishop, Msgr. Peter Nguyen Van Kham says: "This is the year of evangelization in the family". The prelate has dedicated a good part of his pastoral work to "communion" and meeting "with the priests, religious and families." The diocese is located within a large agricultural area, where "Catholics have few opportunities to meet their priests. However - he adds - every family, every parish, every faithful and religious have lived in the spirit of direct evangelization".
On 26 July, Pope Francis appointed bishop of the diocese, Msgr. Nguyễn Văn Khảm, fourth bishop in the history of the diocese. He was born on October 2nd in 1952 at Đàn Giản of Hà Đông in Hanoi. He studied at the Saint Quí Minor Seminary in Cần Thơ province from 1963 to 1972; in the Saint Thomas Major Seminary in Long Xuyên from 1973 to 1976, and the Saigon Saint Joshep Major Seminary from 1977 to 1979. On October 15th 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Auxiliary Bishop of the Saigon Archdiocese. On November 15th, 2008 he was ordained bishop by Cardinal Jean Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn. His Episcopal motto is "Hãy Theo Thầy" (Follow Jesus)".
The bishop points out that young people are missing from
"many parishes", moving to the big cities "looking for
work", while a few attend schools and universities. And yet, many are
turning to the diocese "in search of work," so therefore "we
need aid programs aimed at these young people. They should be helped - he says
- in their path of integration." Msgr. Peter Nguyễn Văn
Khảm also points out that the diocese "includes vast
agricultural areas and many parishioners live in remote and dispersed areas."
In addition to visiting every family, every priest strives to engage prisoners in
pastoral and social work; from May to September each parish offers a training
course lasting a week for catechists.
In the context of the year dedicated to evangelization in the family, the
prelate gave each family a small prayer book, to allow all members to come
together and "pray together." "Catholic families - says the
prelate - instill the Gospel and work to build a strong faith in the context of
a materialistic society like the present one. Strengthening the spirit of
evangelization in the family" in Vietnam. He adds that it is necessary to
promote and strengthen the participation of the faithful in the Church, even if
"the response" from parishes is "positive" and "there
are a lot of volunteers." "I hope - he concludes - that the faithful
and Catholic families are increasingly prepared to give life to a comprehensive
development, which helps to strengthen faith and evangelization in the family".
The Diocese of Mỹ Tho was erected by St. John XXIII November 24, 1960 and
includes the provinces of Tien Giang and Long An, as well as part of the
province of Đồng Thap; there are about 4.675 million inhabitants, the majority
of Kinh, Chinese and Khmer ethnic groups. The majority (75%) work in
agriculture. The area is located on the Mekong delta and is among the biggest
"granaries" of the country, although its inhabitants live in
conditions of poverty. There are about 120 thousand Catholics (about 3%), while
the priests are scattered throughout the 133 dioceses.
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