The Vietnamese Jesuit Province celebrated the ordination to the priesthood of nine Jesuit deacons on December 3 at St Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate in Ho Chi Minh City by Most Rev Joseph Dang Duc Ngan, Bishop of Da Nang diocese.
The new priests are PhaoLô Trương Minh Cao SJ, Phaolô Nguyễn Văn Chí SJ, Vinhsơn Nguyễn Văn Công SJ, Giuse Vương Văn Đỉnh SJ, Giuse Nguyễn Ngọc Khang SJ, Giuse Trương Đình Sáng SJ, Giuse Maria Trương Hoàng Sơn SJ, Martinô Vũ Thi Thơ SJ and Phêrô Nguyễn Bá Tinh SJ.
More than a hundred priests, Jesuits and non-Jesuits, concelebrated with Vietnamese Provincial Fr Vincent Phạm Văn Mầm SJ. Family, relatives and friends of the newly ordained priests also came to participate in this significant occasion.
Bishop Joseph, in his homily, reminded the new priests that each of them should trust God’s faithfulness in choosing them so that they will also be faithful in their response to God’s call. Just as Jeremiah in the First Reading trusted God’s promise that He will always be with the one whom He sent, each one should be confident to preach the Gospel to the world by living a good Christian life and by showing eagerness for his mission. Such evangelisation burning with the Holy Spirit will show the missionary’s love for God. Bishop Joseph cited as an example St Francis Xavier upon whose Feast Day the ordination was held.
May the Lord bless our new priests and, like St Francis Xavier, grant them the grace to live faithfully their vocation. [Vietnam Jesuits]
