Jesuits to work Viet Nam’s smallest diocese

The members of the Society of Jesus or Jesuits are to work in the smallest diocese in Viet Nam. 

A delegation headed by Father Vincent Pham Van Mam, Jesuit provincial met Bishop Joseph Chau Ngoc Tri of the diocese of Lang Son at the Bishop’s residence on April 6 and discussed missionary collaboration between the two parties. 

“It is a great opportunity to proclaim the Good News in the country’s smallest diocese,” Jesuit Provincial Father Van Mam said. 

During the meeting, the Bishop talked about evangelization as the primary concern of the diocese which is regarded as the smallest diocese in Vietnam with only more than 6,000 Catholics (around 0,33 percent of the area’s population).

The prelate also shared the challenges and opportunities of the diocese in evangelizing mission in his diocese, which is located in the northern part of the country. 

Lang Son–Cao Bang diocese covers 18,359 sq km in the provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang as well as the districts east of the Lo River in Ha Giang Province, 800 km along the Vietnam-China border.

Catholics have scattered across the provinces which makes parishes face many difficulties to organize pastoral activities.

Although the diocese is the smallest in Vietnam’s Catholic Church, it has huge potential to proclaim and share the Gospel since, in the large area of the diocese, there are several ethnic groups such as Nung and Tay (85 percent), King (Vietnamese), Sao, Chinese, San Chay, Hmong (15 percent).

According to Bishop Tri, in the context of diverse religions and cultures, the primary focus of the task of evangelization in the Lang Son–Cao Bang diocese is inculturation. 

Therefore, Bishop Tri hoped that Vietnamese Jesuits, who have been inspired by the experience of their fellow missionaries in China and Vietnam, will effectively get engaged in evangelizing missions in his diocese.  

In responding to the bishop’s call, the provincial thanked him for his warm welcoming and promised that the Vietnamese Province will send its missionaries to Lang Son–Cao Bang soon to collaborate with the diocese in evangelization.

The diocese was created in 1960. The 67-year-old Bishop Tri was appointed to shepherd in 2006.

As of 2019 Vatican data, the diocese has 25 parishes with 31 diocesan and 11 priests from various congregations. 

(With reports from Viet Nam Jesuits)