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.
________
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 mailto: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