A Visit from Vietnam: 2024 Catholic Missionary Appeal for the Long Xuyen Diocese

On Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, June 14, 2024, our parish will welcome Fr. Vincent Tuan Vu from the Diocese of Long Xuyen, Vietnam. Fr. Tuan Vu will preside over the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass at St. Mary, 8 a.m. Mass at St. Mary and the 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Nicholas. At all Masses, we will hold a special collection for the Missionary Catholic Appeal (Mission Cooperation Plan) to benefit the Long Xuyen Diocese. In preparation for this visit and appeal, Fr. Vincent Lam Nguyen, Long Xuyen Missionary Catholic Appeal Coordinator, has shared with us the following profile of his diocese.

"The Diocese of Long Xuyen covers two provinces of An Giang and Kien Giang plus parts of two districts that belong to the City of Can Tho. This region is located in the most south-western corner of Vietnam in the Mekong Delta that shares a border with Cambodia.

​"The Long Xuyen Diocese currently has over 236,213 faithful among approximately 4.2 million people, or 5.58%, lower than the national average. It spreads out to 196 parishes in a region of about 6,500 square miles. We currently have 337 priests, including 35 religious ones, about 367 religious sisters, 133 religious brothers, 122 seminarians, 166 preparatory students, and nearly 1,634 catechists.

"In 1954, the population of the faithful in this area was about 30,000. That was before the influx of the Catholic political refugees from North Vietnam moving into this fertile farming land. The official church records indicate that the above number increased to 93,739 in 1964. Again, we are caring for over 236,000 faithful today.

"Vietnam’s population nationwide is shifting from countryside to more industrial cities or further into isolated rural lands. The latter is of our most concern, since many Catholics are migrating away from their home parishes to the new land where there are neither churches nor catechetical schools.
The Long Xuyen Diocese has to build up to 5 chapels and many classrooms each year to accommodate these new Catholic Communities. We also must train many new catechists and evangelization volunteers for our efforts of the New Evangelization.

"WE NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT!

"Please let us be the extension of your arms to help these poor brothers and sisters of ours as well as reaching out to the non-Christians in the region who are hungry for the GOOD NEWS of CHRIST and the LOVE of GOD.

​"100% of the funds generated from your generosity will be utilized for the above purposes."

“One of our wishes is to turn this chapel [above] into a new one as in the photo below.”