Anthony Trần Khắc Bá SJ and Vincent Vũ Tứ Quyết SJ were ordained deacons on 6 April at the Church of the Gesù in Rome, while Joseph Nguyễn Minh Đỗ SJ was ordained a deacon in the chapel of the Franciscans in Thủ Đức city, Vietnam on 11 April.
Deacons Bá and Quyết were ordained by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church, alongside 11 other Jesuits from eight countries. All of them are studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Fr Arturo Sosa SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, concelebrated the ordination Mass with Fr Luis Orlando Torres SJ, Rector of the Jesuit Community of Collegio Internazionale del Gesù, Fr Johan Verschueren SJ, Delegate for Interprovincial Houses and Works, and other Jesuits. All of them are studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University and living in the Collegio Internazionale del Gesù.
The day after their ordination, the new deacons were received by Pope Francis in his Library in the Papal Palace after his Wednesday General Audience.
A few days later in Vietnam, Joseph Đỗ SJ was ordained a deacon by Bishop Louis Nguyên Anh Tuan, Apostolic Administrator of Hà Tĩnh Diocese. He was ordained in a ceremony that included the ordination of five Franciscan deacons to the priesthood and 14 Franciscan scholastics to the diaconate.
During his homily, Bishop Tuan invited the candidates to be instruments of the Lord’s peace, as well as to engage fully in the task of making the Risen Lord known to the world by all that they do and say. He encouraged the ordinands not to depend on their own talents but to entrust the Lord’s mercy and compassion to fulfill the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel.
The new Vietnamese Jesuit deacons all come from northern Vietnam.
Deacon Quyet, 32, was born in Nam Định Province. He graduated with a degree in Mathematics from the Hanoi National University of Education. In 2010, he joined the Jesuit candidacy program and was admitted to the Sacred Heart Novitiate the following year. He studied philosophy at Saint Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate in Ho Chi Minh, and did his two-year Regency with Vatican Radio before starting his theology studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Deacon Ba, 38, was born in Nghệ An Province. He studied Physics at the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City – University of Science before joining the Jesuit pre-novitiate program in 2005. He was admitted to the Sacred Heart Novitiate in 2006, and subsequently studied philosophy at Saint Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate. For a year during his Regency, he served as assistant to the chief of the Social Office of the Vietnamese Jesuit Province before he was sent to London for further studies in philosophy. In 2017, he was sent to Rome for theology studies.
Deacon Joseph Do SJ, 38, was born in Hà Nam Province. He studied Sociology at Ho Chi Minh City Open University before joining the Jesuit candidacy program in 2008. He was admitted to the Sacred Heart Novitiate in 2009, and after First Vows studied philosophy at Saint Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate. He served in the Cambodia Mission for three years during his Regency before returning to Vietnam for theology studies at Saint Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate.
This article was updated on 13 April 2021.