"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” – 1 Peter 4:10
SCHERERVILLE – Based on 2025 population estimates, there are over 1,100 Vietnamese residents in Lake County, Indiana, making it one of the top counties for the Vietnamese population in the state.
Members of the Catholic Vietnamese community arrived at St. Michael the Archangel on Feb. 15 to celebrate a liturgy in their native language, marking the Lunar New Year. Many of the faithful, fashioned in traditional cultural attire, snapped a selfie in front of a background reminiscent of a scene from Vietnam that was set up in the foyer before proceeding into the church.
My Luu and her mother, Oanh “Jena” Luu, are not always greeted in their primary language upon entering a church, but they were on this day. Luu shared that her dad visited the church in 2010, and when they arrived in the country three years ago, he wanted them to continue attending Mass. She said they now try to attend every Vietnamese Mass in the Diocese of Gary.
“The Lunar New Year is a chance to start over, to try new things and leave the bad things behind,” Luu said.
During the homily, Father Thiên Nguyễn, SVD, explained that Vietnamese culture calls the current lunar new year the year of the horse. The priest shared that the horse in Eastern culture symbolizes strength, loyalty, perseverance and constant forward movement. A stallion or colt is not born to stand still in the stable, he emphasized, “but to run, to serve, and to accompany others on their greater journey, not only serve, but to serve others.”
Father Nguyễn acknowledged that many times people can carry on in similar ways to the horse – constantly running for families, work and responsibilities. He said this year, the year of the horse, reminds people to run swiftly in charity.
“We run ahead in forgiveness, and we run steadily in faith, even when we are tired or discouraged,” he said.
Father Nguyễn suggested that what is needed more and more is the spirit of commitment and synodality with one another – a spirit of community. Using the imagery of animals, he stated that the horses, when they run, always run together, and the birds, when they fly, always fly together.
Further emphasizing the importance of unity, Father Nguyễn shared the American phrase, ‘If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together.’ He said this way of thinking in the community is “the spirit of the horse, and is also the spirit of the year being celebrated.”
“There are times when a person cannot run, cannot run alone, cannot run fast,” Father Nguyễn said. “There will be times when it is difficult, but if we run together, we will run. We have to run together to continue to build a family, to cooperate with God and continue to build our society so that the future that the Lord wants for us will be stronger.”
Father Nguyễn added that the Lunar New Year is not only the first day of the lunar calendar, but also, just like Thanksgiving, is a time for family, friends, remembering ancestors, and giving thanks for blessings.
When asked what he liked about the evening’s festivities, Joseph Kissane Jr. smiled and said, “Just everything.” He and his wife, Kimxuyen “Lucy” Lekissane, have been working with the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) religious order and the local Vietnamese community for more than 30 years.
“These are all my brothers and sisters,” he said. “It’s a really good, wonderful family.”
The Lunar New Year service came just shortly after the Society of the Divine Word celebrated its one year anniversary of its partnership with the Diocese of Gary. Lucy Lekissane played a key role in organizing a monthly Mass in Vietnamese on the first Sunday of each month at St. Michael in Schererville.
She said it was emotional to see everyone together, young and old, worshipping God and enjoying each other.
“If we don't listen to God’s inspiration and ponder the messages in Matthew’s Gospel – seek and you will find, knock and it will open, ask and it will be given – then we miss the greatest love and blessings the Lord has in store for us,” said Lucy Lekissane. “My husband and I looked back at the celebration and thanked God for using us to carry out his will.”
Prior to the Mass, Father Minh Dinh, SVD, who presided over the liturgy, shared that he had recently learned of a previous connection between the religious order and the parish. When vandalism occurred at St. Michael in the 1890s, missionaries from Vietnam came to assist with repairs.
“Imagine,” he said. “One hundred years later, we came back.”
Father Robert Ross, associate pastor, said it's always lovely to hear how the Vietnamese community worships together, especially when they chant prayers in unison. He was able to witness “the joy of a community that cannot gather every week, some of whom drive all the way from Chicago, just to be united with their brothers and sisters and give glory and praise to God.”
Ross said, “It warms this priest's heart to see the sacrifice many of them make in order to worship together. They will run far, indeed.”
