In Hanoi, lay people and Redemptorist Fathers together for a 'true missionary service'
There are few priests and religious in the more isolated regions of Vietnam. The Redemptorists usually work in close contact with non-consecrated people to teach the catechism, social work, charity, and education. Fr Joseph Trần Sĩ Tín tells his story of 50 years serving the Jarai people. Members of the Vietnamese Communist Party come to the faith with their families.
Hanoi (AsiaNews) – "Without the laity’s involvement, it is not possible to carry out a true missionary service,” said Fr Joseph Trần Sĩ Tín (picture 2) at a recent seminar on the mission organised by the Redemptorist Fathers of Hanoi.
The theme of the meeting was ‘Proclaim the Gospel to the people of the cities in a world of vulnerability’. The priest told participants, including bishops, priests, religious and lay people, that his religious order is committed to working with the laity, stressing the latter’s importance in evangelisation.
In their pastoral work among Catholics and non-Catholics, Redemptorist Fathers usually work in close contact with non-consecrated persons, particularly in teaching catechism, social work, charities, and training "lay missionaries".
In the most isolated regions of Vietnam, there are few priests and religious, a problem that makes the contribution of the laity to the everyday religious life of Catholics essential.
Fr Joseph Trần Sĩ Tín has spent a lifetime since 1969 on the evangelisation of ethnic minorities in the Diocese of Kontum, a remote area in the central highlands region.
In 2000, he baptised nearly a thousand people in the mountains, most of them ethnic Jarai. However, these new Catholics are not able to participate regularly in religious services due to restrictions imposed by the Communist government on moving between villages inhabited by ethnic minorities.
As of 2005, Catholics were present in more than 90 villages and their number keeps growing. They are very religious and strong in the faith.
Over the years, the priest has trained many small groups of parishioners who take part in missionary work.
"These believers preach the Gospel everywhere. They accept the dangers that the mission brings them,” said Fr Joseph who now is vicar in Pleichuet parish, which has a congregation of 1,400 people.
In addition to Pleichuet, the Redemptorist Fathers also run other missionary centres, in Cheorel Tolui and Pleikly, and work with several parishes that have in total some 24,000 members.
Mgr Joseph Ngô Quang Kiêt, archbishop emeritus of Hanoi, also addressed the seminar, inviting the laity to heed Pope Francis’s appeal to leave their homes and reach out to the last, the people abandoned by modern society.
"Proclaiming the Gospel to city people in a world of vulnerability is a very current topic, but also rather practical," the prelate explained.
"Lay people work with priests as collaborators, volunteers and employees,” said Fr Joseph Hồ Đắc Tâm as he described the relationship between the faithful and Redemptorist Fathers.
“The members of the missionary society show great enthusiasm in their service. They hope to follow intensive courses in catechism, canon law and communication in order to bring the Word of God to everyone."
"Redemptorist priests and religious are simple people close to the parishioners,” a volunteer from the missionary groups told AsiaNews. “They are not afraid to face difficulties in their works.”
“Many members of the Communist Party who have heard the word of God, even if only by accident, left everything and ran to the Lord, not alone but with their children."
.png)
27/05/2022 16:12
14/02/2020 17:16
