July 14, 2007 was a day of grace for the Vietnamese Jesuits, and also for more than 2,000 guests invited to come to Hien Linh Church’s front yard to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Return of the Jesuits to Vietnam. On this day, the Independent Region of Vietnam also became a Province.
Very early in the morning, the road leading to Hien Linh (Epiphany) Church was filled with people: members of various religious congregations in their different habits, relatives and friends as well as collaborators of the Jesuits. The American and British general consuls were among those who were sitting at the front rows.
At 8:30am, the procession started moving from the Curia toward the altar which was erected on a stage in front of the Church. It was a long procession with around 160 priests and 11 bishops. Cardinal Pham Minh Man was the principal celebrant, assisted by Fr General, among others. The major superiors and electors of the JCEAO, who just finished their five-day meeting, also joined in the celebration.
At the beginning of the Eucharist, Fr Nguyen Cong Doan (VIE) read the decree – signed by Fr General on June 29, 2007, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul – establishing Vietnam as the 86th Province of the Society of Jesus: “Having seen how the Lord has accompanied you amidst the aforementioned historical anamnesis, I am very pleased to formally establish the Vietnamese Province of the Society of Jesus on the 50th anniversary of the second presence of the Society of Jesus in Vietnam. This new Province is established under the special protection of St Francis Xavier, the greatest Jesuit missionary in Asia.”
In the introduction to the Mass, the cardinal asked those present to give thanks to God for all the great works that the Jesuits have done in Vietnam for a period of 392 years. He also mentioned all the hardships that the Vietnamese Jesuits had to endure in the last 30 years.
In his homily, Bishop Paul Bui Van Doc, as a close friend of the Society of Jesus in Vietnam, enthusiastically talked about the fire of love which the Jesuits had brought to this land, and how they had helped to make that fire spread to all the corners.
The celebration completed with a huge banquet, all the 2000 or more guests were seated around more than 300 tables to enjoy delicious food and drinks.
To read Fr General’s message of gratitude on this occasion, go to http://www.jceao.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=289&Itemid=2
Fr Ben Nebres, President Ateneo de Manila University, wrote “On the celebration of 50 years since the return of the Jesuits to Vietnam”. Read the article and view pictures in http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=31&aid=3812
Fr General’s visit in Vietnam was from July 7 – 14. On the first day of his visit, he presided a household blessing for the new 48-room Scholasticate. In the following days, he also visited the Candidacy Program with 130 candidates, and had talks with the professed, scholastics, novices, and visited four Jesuits communities and attended the meeting of the Major Superiors at Ho Chi Minh City.
On July 26, the regents met with the Provincial and the Assistant for Formation. The advantages and disadvantages of their regency were discussed, and their desires for a more fruitful regency were shared. Their sharing and evaluation will contribute for building a better regency program in the future.
On July 28, the first Jesuit community in Vietnam, the Alexandre de Rhodes Center, celebrated its Golden Jubilee presided by the Assistant Bishop of Ho Chi Minh City, who was a former Jesuit candidate in 1972-1973. In this occasion, the community officially reopens and begins its ministerial activities, after it was taken over by the government for almost thirty years.