Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ho Chi Minh City (Fides Service) - Irradiate the charisma of St Francis, encourage the Friars, the Poor Clare Sisters and lay Franciscans in pastoral work and show affection and concern for the local Catholic community were the goals of a recent visit to the St Francis Province in Vietnam by Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Fr José Rodríguez Carballo. This first official visit was possible thanks to special permission granted by the Vietnamese government. Fr. Carballo was accompanied by definitor general Fr. Ambrogio Van Si a member of the Vietnamese Province.
The Catholic community offered a warm welcome to the head of the world’s Franciscan community. During his seven day pilgrimage Fr. Carballo had fraternal meetings with Cardinal Jean Baptist Pham Min Man, archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, and Bishop Paul Nguyen Van Hoa of Nha Trang president of the Bishops Conference Vietnam.
During the week Fr. Carballo met nearly all the Vietnamese Franciscans visiting 9 of the Province’s 17 houses. He visited the convents of Poor Clare Sisters and met and prayed with various Fraternities of the secular order and with the Sisters Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.
The Minister General thanked everyone for the warm welcome and said he had found a “lively Franciscan community promising for the future”. He urged the Franciscan family in Vietnam to “trust in the Lord and walk confidently ahead”.
The Franciscan Province of Friars Minor in Vietnam founded 77 years ago has today 120 solemnly professed members (in 17 houses), 53 temporary professed, 13 novices, 13 postulants and 80 aspirants. The Franciscan friars, nuns and lay members are very active in pastoral work and social service. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 3/4/2006 righe 26 parole 268)
