SCHERERVILLE – “Happy New Year!” exclaimed those gathered for Mass at St. Michael the Archangel church on Jan. 26. This was not a delayed reaction, but, instead, a fresh salutation on the Tết, the start of the new year as celebrated by those of Vietnamese heritage.
As they have been gathering together as a family of faith monthly for a Sunday evening Mass, Southeast Asians hosted a particularly festive event marking the beginning of the Lunar New Year. More than 350 Vietnamese Catholics attended the liturgy and fellowship meal, complete with plenty of wishes for “an khang thịnh vượng,” or security, good health, and prosperity.
The traditional holiday, more precisely called the Tết Nguyên Đán, or “festival of the first day,” is, according to many in attendance at St. Michael, the biggest celebration in Vietnamese culture. Local faithful were excited to mark the event for the first time in memory at a diocesan parish.
“This is a time to gather family members, and to thank God for the gifts we have received in the past year,” said Society of the Divine Word Father Nhan Tran, who presided at the Mass. “In the Jubilee Year we (must) trust the Lord in whatever we do and learn to rest ourselves in the holy hands of God.”
Today’s Gregorian calendar was developed and promulgated as a refinement of the Julian calendar by Pope St. Gregory the Great in 1582. The Lunar New Year, based on the lunar calendar, is always affixed to the New Moon and that date shifts annually on the Western calendar, which is based on the Earth’s relationship with the sun.
The Tết gathering blended the Catholic faith of the Southeast Asian culture and festivities whose antecedents were the introduction of Chinese customs into the region. Passages from Holy Mass from 1 Corinthians 12 including “for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit” melded well with the celebration of the Year of the Snake, where people are encouraged to inspire their neighbors to embrace growth, as the animal that sheds its old skin.
During Mass, Vietnamese choir members including Bui Phuoc, who was also the emcee, filled the church nave with songs such as, “Mừng Chào Mùa Xuân,” a prayer for a happy Spring. The liturgy was said in Vietnamese, with some universal terms such as “amen,” recognizable to English speakers.
Father Tran was joined by concelebrants fellow order Father Dong “Dominic” Nguyen, Father Martin Dobrzynski, St. Michael pastor, and Father Robert Ross, associate pastor.
Catholicism grew when the French administered what was known as French Indochina. After the Vietnam War, in which the U.S., South Vietnam and allies fought Communist forces to the north, many Vietnamese immigrated to America to become citizens.
Father Tran immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 and was ordained in 2000. His home base is in Illinois, but he said he was happy to minister to the faithful of the Diocese of Gary.
Honored in the church was longtime U.S. citizen Lucy Lekissane, who, since she left Vietnam after a family member’s capture by the Communist government, has been seen by many new immigrants as a mentor, and more affectionately, as a “grandma.” The Lowell resident, since retired, said she relishes that role.
“This has been a month’s preparation,” said Lekissane, who stood near her husband Joseph Lekissane, who donned a traditional silken ao dai, or ornate cassock-like garment. “I’m happy and tired.”
Kim Hue Pan immigrated to the U.S. 25 years ago. Since then, she has dedicated much effort to managing her nail salon in Schererville. She was emotional at seeing the large assembly breaking bread together and joining in the festivities.
Pan hugged “Grandma Lucy,” who said the salon owner was the initial spark who helped make the “reunion” of local Vietnamese Catholics happen. “God is still using me – I’m just an ordinary woman, and whatever God wants me to do, He is always there inspiring me,” said Lucy Lekissane.
Beaming with the confidence Pan said Lekissane helped her gain, she expressed gratitude for guidance in her entrepreneurial pursuits and in faith matters.
“I’m so, so happy,” Pan declared. “I want my culture to show to anyone here. (on the Tết) I wish everybody good luck.”
She sang the praises of living in America. “I love America, because everywhere (there) is freedom. When I came here, I thanked God (for bringing) me here.”
They both thanked Father Dobrzynski and Dr. Claudia F. Sadowski, Intercultural Ministry coordinator, for hosting the events.
Michael Nguyen and his wife Ivy sat with their children Aaron, 10, and Thea, 3, in the back row of St. Michael church. Yet, according to Lekissane, he was one of the right-hand men responsible for putting together the evening’s program.
For the dad, the excitement of the Tết celebration is like a warm memory from his youth in Vietnam.
“We actually celebrate three to five days for the new year in Vietnam,” said Michael Nguyen, a St. Thomas More parishioner. “I’m between two cultures. Not 100% do we keep the Tết holiday for our kids, but we try.”
Entering St. Patrick Hall, visitors walked near displays of bright yellow apricot blossoms called hoa mai and red drapery representing prosperity. Excitable children ran about and cheered for treats. And the point was mứt – dried candies offered exclusively on the Tết holiday.
Khang Huynh, 16, joined his brother Giang Huynh, 11, in their altar server duties. A junior at Lake Central High School, Khang said his attitude about making memories in the Vietnamese style is the more the merrier.
“I feel like this is a breakthrough because I feel that as an Asian, we don’t see enough of our culture in America,” said Khang Huynh, who moved with his family to the U.S. eight years ago. “So, I feel really excited. This is the first time I’ve seen an Asian celebration that’s not in a major city.”
Caption: A group of Vietnamese Catholics present flowers and Offertory gifts to Society of the Divine Word Father Nhan Tran (right) during Mass at a Tết, or Lunar New Year's gathering, which included a fellowship meal at St. Michael the Archangel parish in Schererville on Jan. 26. The Vietnamese observance of the Tết is the most prominent holiday in that culture, and Catholics celebrate it as not only a time for gathering and wishing for prosperity, but also a time to give thanks to God for His many blessings. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)