Vietnam, Legion of Mary, 62 years of serving the needy
by Trung Tin
Founded in 1948 by Mgr. Joseph Marie Trinh Van Can, the second Vietnamese cardinal. Today it has more than 100 thousand members and is present in 26 dioceses. The Legionaries of Mary evangelize, help the poor and sick, offer catechism, helping thousands of people.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - More than 700 people of the archdiocese of Saigon celebrated the 62nd anniversary of the Legion of Mary in the Archdiocese of Hanoi, the day of the Assumption. The lay association in Vietnam was founded in 1948 by Mgr. Joseph Marie Trinh Van Can, the second Vietnamese cardinal.

Today, the Legion of Mary has more than 100 thousand members and is distributed across 26 dioceses. One of the participants in the celebrations that took place in the parish of Xom Moi (South Vietnam), told AsiaNews: "We carry out various work under the guidance of the apostolic vicars or priests. Every month we help underprivileged children, the elderly and the marginalized, such as the homeless or AIDS patients”.

In particular, the “Community of the three parishes of Saigon" is very active (SG3, Comutium), that first began in the parish of Xom Moi. The group, in which more than 4,500 volunteer as legionaries of Mary, carries out apostolic work in 12 parishes and three small churches.

The members of SG3 Comutium have helped and baptized thousands, hundreds of whom were sick and dying. The Legionaries of Mary also help hundreds of poor families, orphans and disabled children.