Three new Hmong priests ordained among the 18 others in Vietnam's Huang Hoa Diocese

On August 17, Bishop Dominic Hoang Minh Tien ordained eighteen new priests, including three Hmong, at Son Loc Cathedral in the Huang Hoa diocese of Vietnam.

There were over a thousand people present for the ceremony, including many religious leaders and diocesan priests.

The mass celebration began with a lengthy procession of priests, 18 deacons, the bishops John Maria Vu Tat and Anthony Vu Huyen, and the presider, bishop Dominic Hoang Minh Tien.

Even though Vietnam has a large number of vocations, the ordination of three Hmong hill-tribe young men was an exceptional event that highlighted the vital and fruitful pastoral work of the Vietnamese church with the hill-tribe people, particularly in the north of the country.

Bishop Minh Tien stated that the Huang Hua diocese contains 200,000 Catholics and spans ten provinces, beginning a few kilometers from Hanoi and ending at the Chinese frontier in Sapa.

In many of these provinces, he said, various hill tribes are present. He commended the diocesan priests who have begun working in Hmong villages for their 'commitment' that has resulted in 'growing numbers of Catholics' in the diocese.

The relatives and friends of the newly ordained Hmong priests live in poor villages in the mountains, and they had to travel more than six hours in order to reach Son Loc Cathedral, which is only 50 kilometers from Hanoi.

In his sermon, Emeritus Bishop Anthony Vu Huyen emphasized the significance of the event that saw the highest number of newly ordained priests in the diocese, but he also emphasized the significance of the vocation that every disciple of Christ receives through baptism.

"Every vocation is a gift of God, he said, and the priestly vocation is one of many necessary to build the kingdom of God. This free gift of the Highest unites the priest with his teacher and gives him the same mission: bring the Good News to the poor," said bishop Vu Huyen.

He concluded his homily by urging the congregation to pray for the Diocesan family and, in particular, the new priests.

In order to serve the church, "they should always have faith in God and cultivate a spirit of collaboration and unity," he said.

The Catholic Church in Vietnam, with its 6.7 million inhabitants, 27 dioceses, and 3073 parishes, does not appear to experience crises; the churches are always full, the devout are devoted in their respective parishes, and catechism instruction is well organized.

Everywhere, new churches are constructed and old ones are renovated, the clergy is numerous, and religious convents are full; however, some priests observe a modest decline in the number of vocations and attribute it to the country's economic growth. - RVA Hmong News Service