Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) – Knowledge of the culture and language of Vietnam, even the nations small ethnic groups is a necessity for those who dedicate themselves to missionari action there. It has been this way since Fr. Alexandre de Rodhes, a missionary in Vietnam from 1624 to 1645 transcribed Vietnamese into latin characters. In those same years the missionary administered baptism to 6,700 people belonging to ethnic minorities.
In 1954, when Catholics went to the south of the country, along with the Word of the Gospel, they brought a different cultural tradition. Particularly French missionaries carried out their activity among groups such as the K’Ho, Churu, Bana, E-de, H’ mong and others.
Up until now missionaries have used many different means to spread the Bible to these small groups, organising art exhibitions, musicals, shows and meetings. The faith of the ethnic groups is bound to local traditions. Honouring parents and death, the use of inscence as a symbol of their prayers to God. “We are waiting for priests to come to our village to teach our children”, says one Churu.
Numerous Churches have been built. People from ethnic groups or Kinh (to which most Vietnamese belong) go to Church to pray, take part in Bible study groups, and have joyful lives.
Now the priests and nuns who work among them speak their language. In particular people who take part in missionary work, such as Sr. Lue, in the village of M’Lon. At the same time parents, the elderly and children are realising their mission by using the cultural traditions of the ethnic groups.