By Colombia - Bogota Province SC

Bogotá, Colombia, 25 November 2018 -- Five deacons were ordained in the Saint John Bosco (San Juan Bosco) Parish near the "Santo Tomás de Aquino" Salesian interprovincial theologate (Bogotá), through the laying of hands and the prayer of consecrationn of Bishop Hector Julio López Hurtado, SDB, bishop emeritus of Girardot. The five were Salesians belonging to the Provinces of Bolivia (two), Peru (two)and one from Ecuador province.

Among the five deacons were four Vietnamese missionaries ad gentes: Joseph Toan Pham Ngoc (Bolivia), Joseph Vinh Nguyen Quang (Bolivia), Peter Thinh Bui Huu Ngoc (Peru) and Peter Vuong Tran Hong Trieu (Ecuador). The last of the five deacons was their companion Fredy Efrain Valdivia from Ecuador.

Four SDB provincials were at the ordination Mass: Fr Javier Ortiz, Provincial of Bolivia, Fr Francisco Sánchez, Provincial of Ecuador, Fr Manuel Cayo, Provincial of Peru and Fr Jaime Morales, Colombia, with a large number of faithful, youth and families of the five deacons, including also a large group of parents and relatives from Vietnams. The former Vietnam-Mongolia (VIE) provincial Fr John Baptist Nguyen Van Them took part in the ordination.

At present more than 30 Salesian missionaries are working in the Latin American provinces, most of them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Timor Leste and the Philippines.

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