In the joy of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the presence of the Vietnamese Martyrs Province and the closing of the 36th General Chapter, we are so happy to have 9 new deacons and 7 new priests. They were ordained by Bishop Joseph Bui Cong Trac, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City on the December 2nd, 2023.

The ordination ceremony took place at 8:00 AM at Khiet Tam Church. Concelebrating the Mass were the Provincial Joseph Pham Dinh Ai SSS and all the priests of the province with the present of our SSS religious and the families and friends of the ordained.

In the solemn and fervent atmosphere of the Mass, the Bishop reiterated a few basic doctrinal points about the Sacrament of Holy Orders in the life of the Church in order to stimulate the congregation to pay attention and pray for these men in the noble mission they are about to receive.

He said: “Thanks to the special grace of the Holy Spirit, these men will be ordained to serve God's people. Through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, the Holy Spirit places a permanent seal in the souls of these men. The Priest is linked to the Bishop in the priesthood, becoming an effective collaborator with the Bishop, forming a priesthood and sharing pastoral responsibilities with the Bishop. Diocesan priests are usually assigned to a certain parish by the Bishop, while religious priests, through their superiors, will receive a certain job depending on the spirituality and charism of that congregation. Whether they are diocesan or religious priests, priests are called to serve the Church in unity and submission to the Bishop, and at the same time in communion with the priest council. Deacons are ordained to serve the Church in the responsibility of preaching the Word of God, helping priest in the liturgy, taking care of the community and practicing charity, performed under the authority of the Bishop and closely linked with the priest. However, because they live in the world, clergy are always attacked by worldly power, especially when they are chosen by God himself to be consecrated and given a mission. Therefore, clergy always need the prayers, support and cooperation of all the faithful, so that the world cannot lose their quality but they can become priests and deacons as God desires.”

At the end of the Mass, the Provincial, on behalf of the newly ordained, gave thanks to God, to the Bishop, priests, parents, relatives, friends and the one have collaborated with the Province to prepare for this Mass.

After Mass, the entire community shared an Agape meal at the Provincial campus.

Please continue to help and pray for the newly ordained today to be more enthusiastic and generous in their commitment to the SSS mission: The mission to announce and present the meaning of the Eucharistic mystery to everyone (Rule of Life, #1).

Father Peter Tien Nguyen, sss