SCHERERVILLE – Gathering to worship is something many Vietnamese Catholics have seldom taken for granted. In that eager spirit, a local group has codified a tradition that has drawn together a growing family of faith.
Last fall a group of believers, mostly St. Michael the Archangel parishioners, gathered for a Mass celebrated in Vietnamese by a Society of the Divine Word priest who was visiting the Schererville church. Buoyed by the good attendance, liturgies in the Southeast Asian language have been scheduled there at monthly intervals.
On Nov. 2, a Sunday evening Mass on The Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed, or Cầu cho các tín hữu đã qua đời, was followed by a dinner gathering in the Vietnamese style hosted at St. Michael. Bishop Robert J. McClory presided at the bilingual Mass that was preceded by Confessions heard by local clergymen.
From the opening notes of the entrance hymn “Niềm Hy Vọng Hằng Sống,” based on Job 19, to the words of the bishop’s homily (which was summarized in Vietnamese by Father Minh Dinh, SVD) and the remarks of event coordinator Lucy Lekissane, a cultural expression revolved around themes of faith, thankfulness and redemption.
“I feel like it’s important to have a day like this,” said May Huynh, a bilingual young adult from St. John, who is a St. Michael parishioner. “Young people like us these days, we really (have a hard time) focusing on Mass, and don’t know about these things anymore. St. Michael offers a Mass for Vietnamese people, and I feel very fortunate.”
She continued, “I hadn’t gone to Church, and I didn’t believe in God as much, but now as soon as I started going here, I had more belief. I feel better.”
Huynh, who immigrated to the U.S. when she was 11, said her first observations about the new country that she would become a citizen of was that it was a “clean and friendly” place. Since becoming part of the greater culture and an active parishioner, she noted deeper connections that are universal.
During his homily, Bishop McClory addressed the topic of “The Four Last Things,” commonly listed as death, judgement, heaven and hell. The Church’s interconnected teachings on these matters move believers on the hopeful journey to eternal life with God.
“On All Souls Day we pray for those who will have a moment of time, an experience of being purged from their sins,” said Bishop McClory. “So, when we think of purgatory, it’s that time when we’re being adapted – maybe feel a little pain – to be prepared to be received into the brilliant sunshine of God.”
Divine Word Missionary Father Dinh, just four years into his priestly ministry, was uplifted by the almost palatable energy shown by the faithful in attendance. The large congregation filled several sections in the main church nave. The group’s initial Mass gatherings were hosted in the smaller chapel.
“This is so beautiful; it’s a very happy occasion,” said Father Dinh, who also mentioned this year’s 150th anniversary of the founding of the SVD ministry in Europe and 50 years in the U.S. “A lot of refugees came to the States, and they joined seminaries.”
Many of the participants in the monthly liturgy and dinner are natives of Vietnam, and some became U.S. citizens as far back as the Vietnam War era. In that conflict, American and allied nations including the forces of the South Vietnamese government sought to repel the Communist aggression of North Vietnamese forces.
After the U.S. involvement in the war ended and after the fall of Saigon, thousands of refugees fled the religious and political persecutions of the Communist government. In 1975, the Ford Administration extended aid and refugee status to many caught in the turmoil. Over the decades, through legal immigration or asylum recognition, many Vietnamese voyaged to America and became citizens.
A strong deposit of faith was sown by Catholic missionaries when the South Asian region was administered as French Indochina starting in the late 1800s. Dinner guests said gradual changes in their native land have offered increased religious toleration as Vietnam seeks greater connection to world economic systems.
Like Huynh, another young woman, Lacie Dinh, was born in Vietnam. Having spent half of her life in the U.S., she explained that she enjoys the freedoms of America. Fellowship with those of her racial and national origin furthers her sense of identity. And sometimes it’s just a matter of enjoying the unique cuisine, music and other cultural expressions of Southeast Asia.
“We feel very thankful and grateful when we meet here with a lot of people,” explained Lacie Dinh. “We bond a relationship together with Vietnamese and Americans.”
She was joined by her friends Amy Vu and Lucky Tran, who feasted on the buffet, which included phở (noodles) and bún chả (grilled pork belly and herbs).
Further evidence of the growth in the Vietnamese ministry was detailed by Lekissance, who spoke at the conclusion of Mass. She told the faithful that eight among the group were baptized this year and two individuals are pursuing full communion with the Catholic Church.
“Father (Martin Dobrzynski, St. Michael pastor) trusted me and allowed me to give instructions in Vietnamese and journey with the candidates,” said Lekissan1`e, a mentor to young people of Vietnamese-American heritage and also someone known by many as ‘Grandma.’ “I recently got a call about one more candidate. The Lord is working.”
Father Dobrzynski was happy to invite to his parish people of faith who share a common heritage. “I empathize with this community as a lot of them do not speak any English, so it’s good that we can provide this for them.”
Bishop McClory furthered the hospitality, offering blessings. “Though I don’t speak Vietnamese, we share a common language of the heart,” he said.
For more information about the ministry for Vietnamese Catholics, call Lucy Lekissane at (847) 668-0185.
Caption: A man bows his head in prayer among the hundreds of worshippers at the one-year anniversary Mass for Vietnamese Catholics at St. Michael the Archangel in Schererville on Nov. 2. Coordinated by those sharing the Southeast Asian heritage, the liturgy presided over by Bishop Robert J. McClory was part of an evening that included an ethnic dinner and customary entertainment in celebration of the establishment of a monthly Vietnamese language Mass at the parish. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)
