Jesuits: 50 years in Vietnam
11-Jul-2007
This year, Society of Jesus is celebrating 50 years in Vietnam for the second time in its history. The first period dated from 1615, and lasted until the suppression of the Jesuits by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. The current anniversary dates from the return of the Jesuits to Vietnam in 1957.
The Jesuits of Vietnam Region will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the return of the Jesuits to Vietnam (1975-2007) and the establishment of the Vietnam Province on July 14. Together in remembrance of the feast of St Ignatius, a thanksgiving mass will be held in Hien Linh (Epiphany) Parish Church, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh. It will be presided over by Cardinal J.B. Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh Diocese.
In honour of the anniversary, and to welcome Vietnam as the Society's newest Province, here is a short history of the Jesuits in Vietnam, from Fr Nguyen Cong Doan, the Regional Assistant to the Father-General for East Asia and Oceania
Jesuits: 50 years in Vietnam
This year, Society of Jesus is celebrating 50 years in Vietnam for the second time in its history. The first period dated from 1615, and lasted until the suppression of the Jesuits by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. The current anniversary dates from the return of the Jesuits to Vietnam in 1957. One cannot help but see the similarities in the circumstances of the Jesuits' two beginnings. In 1600, two leaders Trinh and Nguyen began a secession war that divided the country in two: the North (Ðàng Ngòai - Tonkin) and the South (Ðàng Trong - Interior).
In 1614, Fernandes da Costa, a Portuguese from Macau, ventured into the South and obtained a monopoly (excluding the Dutch) on commercial trade. Back in Macau, he shared the good news with Fr Valentin Carvalho SJ, the Provincial of the Japan Province, who had just been expelled from Japan with 73 Jesuits.
A decision was made to send three Jesuits to found a new mission. Two of those sent were priests, Francesco Buzomi and Diogo Carvalho, and one brother, Antonio Dias. (Blessed Diogo Carvalho later went back to Japan, where he was martyred in 1624 by being thrown into an icy pool.)
Leaving Macau on board a Portuguese boat on 6 January 1615, they arrived at H?i An on 18 January. H?i An was a city founded for Chinese and Japanese traders, directly dependent on the central government of the South. A number of Japanese Christians who fled persecution in Japan took refuge in the city, so it was a provident place for Jesuits expelled from Japan to land. It was another 12 years before the first Jesuits went to the northern country of Tonkin.
The Jesuits left Vietnam after the suppression, and it would be more than 180 years before the country gained their attention again.
The similarities to the situation when the Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam were uncanny. In 1954, after 154 years of unification under the Nguy?n Dynasty, Vietnam was again divided in two under different political regimes. In fact, the dividing line was very close to the former one. At the time, too, nearly 700 Jesuits were expelled from Mainland China by the Mao regime. This time, though, it wasn't commercial interests that opened up Vietnam to the Jesuits, but education.
In August 1953, a group of alumni of Aurora University living in Cho Lon (Big Market, the Chinese area of Saigon) made a request through Fr Georges Germain, the procurator of China missions, for some former professors from Aurora to be sent to the city to help the Chinese community.
Fr O'Brian was sent to Saigon on a fact-finding trip. He was welcomed by Msgr Cassaigne and the French Missionaries (MEP), but was told that MEP missionaries expelled from China were also coming to help the community. In October 1955, Msgr Pierre Marie Ngo Dinh Thuc called on Fr Janssens to discuss the possibility of Jesuits setting up a Catholic university, however there was no time for Fr O'Brian to follow up on the project.
In 1956, Fr Onate, who took over from Fr O'Brian, asked Fr André Gomane to stop over in Saigon on his trip to Bangkok. Fr Gomane was received by civil and ecclesiastic authorities, as well as by other missionaries. It was suggested that Jesuits be sent there to work with students, as they did in Hong Kong, and to teach at the universities. The Apostolic Delegate proposed a Pontifical Seminary be set up for the formation of diocesan clergy.
Father Oñate reported Fr Gomane's findings to Fr Janssens and met him personally in December 1956. The latter asked the Chinese Missions in exile to start the new mission in Vietnam. In April 1957, Fr Oñate accompanied by Fr Germain, went to Saigon. The Apostolic Delegate informed him that the Vietnamese bishops had sent a petition to the Holy See, requesting the establishment of a Pontifical Seminary under the care of Jesuits. He suggested that the best site would be Dalat where a Catholic University had been set up.
Fr Germain was charged to find a temporary lodging for the four Jesuits who were to teach in Universities. After several weeks, with the support of the Minister for Education, he acquired the property 171B Yen Do (now Ly Chinh Thang). By the end of May 1957 Fr Ferdinand Lacretelle arrived and on 31 May 1957, they received the key of the above mentioned house.
Father Lacretelle arrived in Vietnam with his health and especially his sight much damaged by his time in jail in Mainland China, but he had enough health and energy to found the first Jesuit community in Saigon in 1957, the Pontifical Seminary, later Pontifical College St Pius X, in Dalat, in 1958 and the novitiate at Thu Duc in 1960 where he served as the first Master of Novices in Vietnam until 1963.
Other foundations followed quickly:
1962 : Xavier Students Center, Hue
1965: Candidates house for university students, Saigon
1967: Scholasticate St Joseph, Dalat
1970: Andew Phu Yen residence, the Curia of the region, was set up at n.105 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Saigon (now Tran Quoc Toan st.)
1972: Candidates house for secondary school students in Thu Duc
The year 1966 marked the next significant stage for the country, when Vietnam and Thailand were united into one dependent region, while in 1970 the two countries were split into two dependent regions.
The Communist take-over in 1975 meant foreign Jesuits were unable to remain in the country. At the time, the local Jesuit population consisted of 11 priests, 10 scholastics, one brother, four novices and 15 candidates.
Present situation
As of June 2007, there are 38 priests, 45 scholastics, 20 brothers, 31 novices and 147 candidates in Vietnam.
These numbers highlight the abundance of vocations that Vietnam has been blessed with. It is currently trying to strengthen the formation of young members, as well as preparing new staff with the help of other Province in the Assistancy (China and Australia), in Europe and the USA.
Aside from the formation of young members, there are a number of apostolic services in Vietnam. The spiritual apostolate is the busiest area. The Spiritual Exercises are popular, and the demand for them outstrips capacity. There is also a commitment to the formation of seminarians, lay people and other religious men and women.
Jesuits also serve in three parishes, one in Dalat and two in Saigon, all of which are growing fast. In general, the bishops are appreciative of the Society and have high expectations in terms of the spiritual and intellectual apostolates. Financially, the Vietnam region is dependent on the generosity of other Provinces and benefactors to sustain its apostolic works.
As mentioned earlier, vocations to religious and priestly life in Vietnam are still abundant. Economic development may bring about a decrease in vocations over the next decade; however many young adults are still attached to the Church and families are still supportive of priestly and religious life.
Due to the geographic position and cultural traditions of Vietnam, many Vietnamese Jesuits have been sent as missionaries to other countries in East Asia with great success. The experience so far shows that Vietnamese Jesuits are very good at integrating themselves in the local Church and civil society of other countries.
