On 26 August, Fr Carles Gil i Saguer, Sch.P., Father General, together with Fr Pedro Aguado, Sch.P., and Fr József Urbán, Sch.P., travelled to Vietnam, a member country of the Province of Asia Pacific, where a pastoral visit was carried out to continue the communal reflection on the presence, growth, consolidation and expansion of the Piarist charism in Vietnam.
After ten years of presence in Vietnam, Vietnamese Piarists—both solemnly professed and simply professed, as well as aspirants, pre-novices and novices—now number almost four dozen brothers who are striving with great perseverance in their vocation and in the Piarist mission in Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan. Vietnam is a place where Joseph Calasanz is gradually growing like a mustard seed.
The passion and effort that the brothers put into building the Pious Schools in Vietnam trace a horizon of missionary, charismatic and vocational hope. Faith is strong and fosters a deep sense of belonging and solidarity within the believing community.
A sign of institutional and vocational growth and maturity has opened a window to the future: the Priestly Ordination of our dear brothers PHẠM, Văn Lượng; NGUYỄN, Hữu Lợi; and PHẠM, Văn Lê. These three are the first Vietnamese to be ordained priests in their own country, Vietnam. Until now, the first ten Piarist priests had been ordained outside their country. Now, however, a new chapter of hope and gratitude opens. The liturgical celebration took place in the Demarcation of Thái Bình in the north of Vietnam, the second Piarist community in the country. The ordination took place in the parish of Pham Ry and was presided over by His Excellency Most Reverend Thomas Vũ Đình Hiệu, Bishop of Bùi Chu.
The Vietnamese Piarist brothers applied themselves diligently to every detail to welcome those of us who took part in this historic celebration, both for them and for the whole Order.
The brothers conveyed their profound joy in every prayer, at every meal, in every greeting, in every Eucharist, at every reception, at every First Mass, in every interview, in every community meeting, in the encounters with the formees—nothing was lacking. On the contrary, generosity was magnanimous and over-abundant. There is only one word to receive all that was given: THANK YOU!
The families of the brothers we visited also showed the great love they have for God, for the Church, for their faith and for their Piarist sons. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARM WELCOME! We are united with you in prayer. Thank you for giving the vocation of your sons to the Church and to the Order, and for accompanying them with your life and Christian witness.
Fr General Carles Gil, Sch.P., and his team met with the Piarist aspirants in Hồ Chí Minh City: Cao Văn Tài, Nguyễn Văn Hiệp, John Cù Văn Phương, Bartholomew Lê Công Tú, J. B. Phạn Minh Nhật, Joseph Nguyễn Trường Giang, Peter Hoàng Anh Quốc and Gabriel Vũ Khắc Tín. Thank you for your vocation and your presence in the Order. We hope your vocation may grow through your courage and hope, and through the witness of life of the Piarist brothers. We accompany you in prayer and in faith. We pray that, little by little, Calasanz may become a reference in faith—one who followed the Lord radically to serve the Kingdom of God in children and young people.
Likewise, Fr Carles Gil held meetings with the two Piarist communities, where work, fruits, joys and challenges were shared, as well as future plans. The community of Hồ Chí Minh City is composed of Frs NGUYỄN, Quang Vinh; NGUYỄN, Anh Tuấn; NGUYỄN, Văn Phúc; NGUYỄN, Tấn Phát; Deacon NGUYỄN, Tiến Dũng; and Brothers NGUYỄN, Văn Chương; and TRẦN, Văn Huế. The community of Thái Bình is composed of Frs ĐỖ, Công Từ; VŨ, Văn Soạn; Deacon TRẦN, Văn Lực; and Brother NGUYỄN, Văn Quân.
Finally, we should note that the generosity of the communities was accompanied by the presence and support of brothers from the Province of Asia Pacific: Frs NGUYỄN, VănViêt; Lily Lorona; Dennis Desacallar; Juanito Nasataya; and Wilmer Semillano. Also present were Brothers Naveen Vincet and Sayun Jhadia, and Fr Julio Alberto Álvarez as translator for Fr Pedro Aguado, Piarist Bishop of Huesca and of Jaca.
We congratulate the Province and the brothers on the gift of the priesthood received. May you live this gift as a means that God entrusts to you to accompany, according to Jesus and Calasanz, children and young people. Congratulations and best wishes to Fr Lượng, Fr Lợi and Fr Lê. The Order accompanies you in prayer.
Fr Julio Alberto Álvarez
