(Hanoi, Vietnam)- The first gathering of Redemptorist Lay Missionary in the Northern region of Vietnam took place in the pastoral center of the Redemptorists in Thaiha, Hanoi, at 7:30 pm, Monday (August 24, 2020).
After a period of promoting, 60 people are registering to become partners in Mission with Redemptorists. Fr Joseph Trinh Ngoc Hien welcomed all the attendants and talked about believers’ role and mission to proclaim Good News. God called each one of us and chose us to join with the mission of Redemptorists. The provincial council established this new form of the mission with the purpose of training lay people to become missionaries and collaborate with professed members of the Congregation.
Next, Fr Joseph Tran Huu Hoan, the chaplain of Redemptorist Lay Missionary, shared about the identity, mission of a lay Redemptorist. They are the believers who have matured faith, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and invited to closely follow the Redeemer’s footsteps. After a period of training in the Redemptorist Congregation’s spirituality, they will decide to commit themselves with Redemptorist’s mission. Of course, they will choose a suitable form of mission according to their situation. Above all, the poor and the abandoned will be their priority choice of service.
Fr Hoan also introduced about the rules and regulations of Redemptorist Lay Missionary.
Following this introduction, the attendants contributed their ideas and opinions. Everyone expressed a common attitude: Learning more about Redemptorist spirituality and collaborate with the mission of Congregation to proclaim Good News to the poor.
Among themselves, five people were chosen to make the temporary core group and take a leadership role in this new group. The Redemptorists in Vietnam will soon organize different courses to train and accompany the Redemptorist Lay Missionary.
This launch of the new mission responds to the growing need to train lay leaders who are deeply involved with and knowledgeable of the Redemptorists’ rich spiritual tradition. It is equally vital that lay adults, particularly those with knowledge and experience of the Redemptorists, be offered more active ways to participate in the Redemptorist tradition.
We pray and trust in God’s care this new mission in Vietnam.
Duc Trung Vu, CSsR
