austraLasia #1871
49 new priests in Salesian-guided diocese of Bui Chu
BUI CHU (Nam Dinh province Vietnam): 9th June 2007 -- The only Salesian community in the vicinity of Bui Chu, 100 km or so north of Hanoi, is at Phung Ching, some 40 kms from Bui Chu. It is a youth centre and rural youth training centre with some parish involvement as well. But Bui Chu diocese, under the care of the Dominicans over a period of some 300 years, is now led by Bishop Joseph Tiem and his Auxiliary Bishop Peter De, the latter a former Provincial of the Vietnam Province.
Today, 9th June, is something of a triumph of growth for this tiny diocese, one whose entire population is a third Catholic and deeply devout. A total of 49 men will be ordained priests - for various dioceses and religious congregations, all with due and painstaking gathering of permissions both canonical and state.
Bui Chu might be the smallest diocese of Vietnam's 25, but it certainly has the largest bishop's 'compound' - 4 hectares of cathedral, two convents with Dominican and Visitation Sisters (about 100), a formation centre for about 100 residents, and a chapel which seats 400. It is on the list of places for the FABC Conference (Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences). Bishop Tiem has developed an international rosary garden, something dear to both Dominican and Salesian roots, with the Hail Mary represented in 150 languages on large stone tablets. It is a reminder of how many Catholics in difficult times had only the rosary to nurture their faith with.
It seems to have been productive! Bui Chu is also where 33 of the 117 holy Vietnamese martyrs are buried. Fertile ground for the faith and fertile ground all round. Green paddy fields all linked with concrete lanes from village to village, near the seashore. Faithwise, despite the fast-changing social situation, it is estimated that of Bui Chu's 300,000 Catholics, mass attendance is at 80% weekly and pretty high too daily. No surprise that it is also fertile ground for vocations.
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Over this weekednthere are a number of other ordinations involving Salesians from around the EAO region. We can possibly offer a roundup of these events tomorrow or Monday.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org. To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia
49 new priests in Salesian-guided diocese of Bui Chu
BUI CHU (Nam Dinh province Vietnam): 9th June 2007 -- The only Salesian community in the vicinity of Bui Chu, 100 km or so north of Hanoi, is at Phung Ching, some 40 kms from Bui Chu. It is a youth centre and rural youth training centre with some parish involvement as well. But Bui Chu diocese, under the care of the Dominicans over a period of some 300 years, is now led by Bishop Joseph Tiem and his Auxiliary Bishop Peter De, the latter a former Provincial of the Vietnam Province.
Today, 9th June, is something of a triumph of growth for this tiny diocese, one whose entire population is a third Catholic and deeply devout. A total of 49 men will be ordained priests - for various dioceses and religious congregations, all with due and painstaking gathering of permissions both canonical and state.
Bui Chu might be the smallest diocese of Vietnam's 25, but it certainly has the largest bishop's 'compound' - 4 hectares of cathedral, two convents with Dominican and Visitation Sisters (about 100), a formation centre for about 100 residents, and a chapel which seats 400. It is on the list of places for the FABC Conference (Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences). Bishop Tiem has developed an international rosary garden, something dear to both Dominican and Salesian roots, with the Hail Mary represented in 150 languages on large stone tablets. It is a reminder of how many Catholics in difficult times had only the rosary to nurture their faith with.
It seems to have been productive! Bui Chu is also where 33 of the 117 holy Vietnamese martyrs are buried. Fertile ground for the faith and fertile ground all round. Green paddy fields all linked with concrete lanes from village to village, near the seashore. Faithwise, despite the fast-changing social situation, it is estimated that of Bui Chu's 300,000 Catholics, mass attendance is at 80% weekly and pretty high too daily. No surprise that it is also fertile ground for vocations.
________
Over this weekednthere are a number of other ordinations involving Salesians from around the EAO region. We can possibly offer a roundup of these events tomorrow or Monday.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org. To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia
