Fr Thuong, Fr Tan, Fr Ai, Fr Binh, Fr Thang, Fr Chanh

The Chapter took place from 26 to 30 May 2026.
The new Provincial Council is the following:

29 May 2026

Living the experience of the Cenacle in the age of artificial intelligence

The 6^th Provincial Chapter of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament,
Province of the Vietnamese Martyrs, Vietnam

On the morning of 30 May 2026, the Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration marking the conclusion of the Sixth Provincial Chapter of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Vietnam came to a close in an atmosphere of solemnity and fraternity. After five days of prayer, listening, and communal discernment centered on the theme, “Living the Experience of Prayer, Communion, and Service of the Cenacle in the Contemporary Vietnamese Context,” the capitulars not only reflected on the life and mission of the Province but also confronted a significant question: how can the experience of the Cenacle continue to be lived amid the profound transformations of today’s world?

In his message to the Province on the occasion of the Provincial Chapter, Fr. Philip Benzy Romician, SSS, Superior General, drawing inspiration from the message of the 36th General Chapter, invited the Religious of the Blessed Sacrament to return to the Cenacle as the source of community life and mission. This invitation became one of the principal reference points for the reflections and orientations of the Sixth Provincial Chapter. Consequently, the Mission Statement for the period 2026–2030 expresses the Province’s commitment to building each community into a “new Cenacle,” where religious are nourished by a life of prayer, fraternal communion, and service, and from which they are sent forth to proclaim the Gospel of the Eucharist through means that speak effectively to the people of our time.

I. Returning to the Cenacle.

From 26 to 30 May 2026, the Sixth Provincial Chapter of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Vietnam was held at the Provincial House in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Thirty-six Chapter members, including superiors and representatives of local communities from throughout the country, took part in the assembly.

As the highest governing authority of the Province, convened every four years to review its life and mission and to discern new directions in response to the challenges of the times, this year’s Chapter took place in a context in which the Congregation continues to seek more faithful and creative ways of embodying its Eucharistic charism. Accompanying the Chapter were Fr. Roel Dela Cruz, SSS, General Consultor and Treasurer, and Fr. Joseph Maria Le Tran Minh Dang, SSS, General Secretary and Procurator of the Congregation.

In his homily at the opening Eucharistic Celebration, Fr. Joseph Pham Dinh Ai, SSS, Provincial Superior, emphasized that every effort at renewal and revitalization within the Congregation can bear fruit only when it begins with an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. For this reason, before entering into the formal sessions of the Chapter, the participants devoted time to recollection, prayer, and Eucharistic adoration as an essential preparation for their common journey of discernment. Guided by the orientation “Kairos – Listening to the Holy Spirit – Creative Fidelity,” the Chapter was invited to become a moment of grace in which fidelity to the Eucharistic charism could be renewed within today’s context.

The invitation to return to the Cenacle thus emerged as a central theme throughout the Chapter. It represented not only a return to the origins of the Eymardian charism but also a return to the very identity of the Religious of the Blessed Sacrament. The Cenacle is the place of prayer, communion, and mission; the place where the disciples gathered around Jesus to draw strength for their apostolic calling. From this source, the Province was invited to discern new paths for living and proclaiming the mystery of the Eucharist amid the profound changes of the contemporary world.

II. A Province coming to maturity

In his letter to the Sixth Provincial Chapter, Fr. Philip Benzy Romician, SSS, expressed his joy and encouragement regarding the journey of growth experienced by the Province of the Vietnamese Martyrs during more than half a century of presence and service. He acknowledged the Province’s youthful vitality, fraternal communion, pastoral commitment, growth in vocations, stability of community life, and its increasingly significant contribution to the international mission of the Congregation.

At the same time, he emphasized that authentic maturity is measured not only by present achievements but also by the capacity to look toward the future, to deepen Eucharistic identity, and to assume responsibility for the international mission of the Congregation.

Against this backdrop, the reports presented during the Chapter portrayed a Province steadily growing in fraternity, prayer, and apostolic service. Despite serving in diverse circumstances across the country, the communities remain united around the essential values of the Eucharistic charism. Inspired by the recommendations of the Superior General, the Chapter members also reflected on the preparation of personnel for intercultural environments and on the generous sharing of resources for the common mission of the Congregation throughout the world.

These concerns were further developed by Fr. Roel Dela Cruz, SSS, during the working sessions of the Chapter. He stressed that internationality is not merely a pastoral necessity or a strategy for growth but an essential dimension of the Congregation’s life today. In an increasingly interconnected world, Provinces are called to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries and to share personnel, experience, and responsibility in the common mission of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.

III. Communion within the Eymard Family

One of the distinctive features of the Sixth Provincial Chapter was its concern for strengthening communion among all those who share in the Eucharistic charism. The second day of the Chapter was dedicated to listening to the voices of the various branches of the Eymardian Family, including the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, the Servitium Christi Institute, and the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Although they live different vocations, all are united by the same source - Jesus present in the Eucharist - and by a common desire to ensure that the Eymardian charism continues to bear fruit in today’s world.

During the discussions, the different branches of the Eymard Family shared their experiences, challenges, and hopes in both life and mission. Though serving in different apostolic contexts, all expressed a common desire to deepen Eymardian spirituality, nourish their spiritual lives, and bring Eucharistic spirituality closer to young people and young families. As a result of these exchanges, participants proposed strengthening collaboration among the various members of the Eymardian Family through common formation programs, shared Eucharistic gatherings, and the development of digital platforms that would facilitate communication, resource sharing, and mutual support in mission.

IV. Proclaiming the Gospel of the Eucharist in the age of artificial intelligence

From the Cenacle, the disciples were gathered around Jesus and then sent forth to proclaim the Gospel. Today, likewise, from the experience of prayer, communion, and service lived in the Cenacle, the Religious of the Blessed Sacrament are called to bring the Gospel of the Eucharist to the men and women of our age.

For this reason, alongside traditional forms of ministry, the Sixth Provincial Chapter devoted special attention to communications and emerging technologies. In a world increasingly shaped by digital culture and artificial intelligence, communications media are no longer merely tools that support mission; they have become a new environment in which the Church is called to be present, to encounter people, and to proclaim the Gospel of the Eucharist.

It was within this perspective that questions concerning Eucharistic communications and the digital environment were raised for the first time as part of the Chapter’s missionary reflections. The Chapter therefore encouraged every religious and every community to learn, employ, and make prudent and effective use of the achievements of artificial intelligence in ways that promote human dignity and serve the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the Eucharist.

As the Sixth Provincial Chapter concluded, the Religious of the Blessed Sacrament in Vietnam entered a new term of service with hope and trust in God’s providence. Amid the profound transformations of the contemporary world, the Province remains convinced that every form of communication and every technological advancement finds its true value only when it helps people draw closer to Jesus in the Eucharist.

As Fr. Joseph Vu Quoc Binh, SSS, reminded the assembly during the closing Eucharistic Celebration: “What the Congregation needs from you above all is not the ability to govern, but the ability to remain with the Lord.”

From the Cenacle, therefore, the Religious of the Blessed Sacrament are sent forth once again - faithful and creative in their mission, ready to serve the world of today.

Father Mar–Aug Bui Van Hong Phuc, sss