The Eucharist at the centre of Huê Archdiocese's mission
Huê (AsiaNews/UCAN) After the Year of Evangelisation in 2004, Vietnam's bishops in communion with the Holy Father proclaimed 2005 the Year of the Eucharist. The Archdiocese of Huê's action plan for the coming Year involves encouraging local Catholics to evangelise and develop a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
Fr Jean-Baptiste Le Quang Quy, director of the archdiocesan committee for the proclamation, presented the plan on October 10at a meeting in Hue. Its theme was 'With the Eucharist and Our Lady of La Vang, we are confident to begin to proclaim the Good News'. About 1,500 people attended including priests, religious people, parishioners, members of Christian associations, university students and catechumens, some 50 ethnic of whom are ethnic Van Kieu.
"Our pastoral plan," Father Quy said, "includes daily adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, rosary twice a day, visit someone in a spirit of evangelisation and develop positive behaviour by giving up drinking, smoking or speaking maliciously of others.
Father Quy said that "each family must meet to pray, meditate the Word of God, save money to help the poor and embrace a family from a different faith through prayers and deeds". Catholics from everywhere will be asked to attend mass once week, attend mass on the first Saturday of each month, pray for mission and take part in charitable work.
In the meeting, Mgr Étienne Nguyen Nhu The, Archbishop of Huê, asked the participants to announce the Gospel during this Year of the Eucharist. He urged everyone, families and the entire community to "live out the Good News through prayers, visits, reconciliation, sharing and building up the community." The Archbishop told students they could evangelize by helping friends with studies and avoiding social ills.
"Young people should lead a healthy life," he said, "spreading virtue to their environment while adults should set a good example in their religious and secular activities".
The prelate stressed that evangelisation is better in deeds than in words, "so we should listen to the experiences of each individual, family and community and learn from one another."
During the meeting some participants shared their experiences. Joseph Parhung, an ethnic Van Kieu, said he used to be a shaman in his tribal community until he met a nun who encouraged him to follow the path of Christ.
The Archdiocese of Huê covers three provinces: Quan Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue. Its population is around two million people, 65.770 of whom are Catholic. It has 111 priests, 672 religious people, 33 seminarian and 1,456 cathecumens.
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