Vietnamese lay missionaries visit marginalised places in Bắc Ninh
The fourth COVID-19 wave hasn't stopped Catholics in Bắc Ninh from bringing the Good News to those who don't know Jesus. Eleven people were recently baptised. Lay missionaries provide “answers that evoke the words of Jesus,” said Brother Dominic Trần Văn Tân.
Bắc Ninh (AsiaNews) – Various Catholic organisations are promoting evangelisation missions in various parishes in the Diocese of Bắc Ninh, not far from the capital Hanoi.
The Family of St Joseph, the Family of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the Dominican Fraternity are groups of lay missionaries who have decided to put into practice Pope Francis’s message to spread the Word of Christ to marginalised communities.
“This is the way to bring the good fruits of evangelisation to such places,” wrote Brother Dominic Trần Văn Tân on his website.
The mission takes on greater importance since the fourth COVID-19 wave hit Vietnam in April, complicating the material and spiritual life of this Buddhist majority country.
Yesterday, local authorities reported more than 8,000 new SARS-CoV-2 cases. Meanwhile, high unemployment remains, while schools are still shuttered.
Despite the situation, Catholics in the Diocese of Bắc Ninh have not given up; instead, they are encouraging each other to bring the Good News to those who do not know the Lord.
Taking to city streets, lay missionaries establish contacts with the people they meet, welcomed sometimes in the homes of mostly poor people, of those who are lonely or senior citizens who live in marginalised areas of the cities.
“It is strange to see that even though these amateur missionaries don't know much about the Bible, they often give answers that evoke the words of Jesus,” Brother Dominic explained.
While Catholics are not always welcomed, they leave in such cases with a spirit of love and continue their missionary work with simplicity and joy, listening to others.
“These missionaries are ordinary laity,” some students in Bắc Ninh told AsiaNews. “Their lives are normal. But what is extraordinary is the desire to find souls for God.”
Eleven people in the Cầu Đầm area were baptised recently, including a mother whose daughter runs a private pagoda.
An elderly lady from Xóm Chợ, who lives alone with few social interactions, was baptised yesterday. During the ceremony she expressed the joy of joining the Catholic community.
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21/03/2012
20/07/2020 15:48
