Indonesian missionaries nurture vocations in Vietnam: vows of 10 novices
Following the path traced by Fr. Taliano, of the Society of Divine Vocations originally from Naples, since 2018 three Indonesian confreres have moved to Ho Chi Minh City. On Aug. 19 the fruits: the pronouncement of first vows of 10 local seminarians. The Asian country is today a fruitful land of mission and vocations.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A land of mission, a fruitful reality for new vocations and for the proclamation of the Gospel. This is Vietnam according to Fr. Rosario Taliano, a missionary of the Society of Divine Vocations (SDV) originally from Naples, in southern Italy, who since 2017 had identified the South-East Asian country as the goal for a renewed effort in the journey of evangelization of the continent.
This conviction has grown over the years and after a series of visits, in which the religious, already delegate for Indonesia of the order he belongs to, has deepened his knowledge of the territory, of the local Church and of its faithful.
On the instructions of the Italian missionary, at least three Indonesian priests of the SDV have moved to Ho Chi Minh City to look for candidates for the priesthood. One year later, in April 2018, a local community was inaugurated in the ex-Saigon, under the guidance of the first missionary: the Indonesian Fr. Fabianus Hane Seran, followed a few months later by the confreres Fr. Kasianus Nana Seran and Fr. Valentinus Lesak.
From that first seed of mission, the first fruits have emerged in these days. In particular last August 19, when 10 young Vietnamese took their first vows in Ho Chi Minh City during a ceremony attended by dozens of religious and hundreds of faithful from different areas of the southern Vietnamese metropolis.
The superior general of the Society of Divine Vocations, the Brazilian Fr. Antonio Rafael Do Nascimento and the director of formation Fr. Salvatore Musella were also present at the celebration.
The 10 new seminarians are: Antôn Nguyễn Tri Công; Gioan Thánh Giá Nguyễn Trùng Dùòng; Giuse Lê Trần Thánh Lầp; Joseph Huỳnh Tấn Lộc; Phêrô Nguyễn Hà Nhật Quang; Giuse Trần văn Quan; Phêrô Lê Tùy Lê Triều Nguyễn; Luy Nguyễn Trung Tín; Joseph Nguyễn Văn Túóng; Giuse Trần Văn Trúóng.
"Initially, our formation house in Vietnam - Fr. Lesak - accepted five locals who wanted to join us”. Since the arrival of the first delegate (Fr. Taliano), adds the religious, "more and more young Vietnamese have expressed their desire to join our community".
Vietnam has 27 dioceses and according to the Indonesian SDV priests in Saigon the religious vocation has always been abundant. "We have strong expectations - says Fr. Lesak - may more and more young people join" the mission, which in the past was often carried out with discretion so as not to offend the central and local authorities, but which today can be affirmed with greater freedom.
Two Vietnamese seminarians of the congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Dehonians) are now studying theology at the Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta. They confirm to AsiaNews the enthusiasm for consecrated life that characterizes many young Catholics in their country of origin. Of their experience in Indonesia they say that "the biggest challenge is of course the language, but after more than two years in Yogyakarta I was able to speak and write Indonesian".
(P. Valentinus Lesak contributed to the article)
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