ASIA/LAOS - New minor Seminary in Vientiane named after Carlo Acutis

Vientiane (Agenzia Fides) - The new minor Seminary in Vientiane, Laos, has been inaugurated named after Carlo Acutis. Bishop Anthony Adoun Hongsaphong, apostolic vicar of Vientiane, capital of Laos, a small state in Southeast Asia where a communist government still exists and where the life of the Church is subject to controls.
The apostolic vicar explained: “We trust and hope in the intercession of Carlo Acutis for our small community and for our young people. Acutis is a model and can be a valuable source of inspiration. His faith and profound Eucharistic devotion make him an example we show to young Laotians. We hope that the luminous figure of Acutis may bear fruits of holiness and the gift of new priests to our Church.”
The minor Seminary already houses nine boys around the age of 15. “We are a small Church with few priests, all Laotian. In our difficult situation, we are not discouraged, but we need to offer the boys and young men the path of the priesthood,” said the vicar. The bishop, who came to Vientiane from southern Laos, decided to open this new structure in September 2025. “It is not a separate building. The seminary consists of a few rooms in the cathedral grounds. The boys come from the villages, live here with us, experience community life, attend public school, and in the afternoons they attend catechism, study, and deepen their faith."
The bishop explained that, with these small steps, “we are trying to keep faith alive in our community in a context like that of Laos, where the government controls our ecclesial life. Catholic families are usually happy to entrust their children to the seminary experience.” Bishop Hongsaphong noted that today's youth are also attracted to the media and new technologies, which leaves less room for spirituality. "Furthermore, we lose many young people to emigration, who go abroad, especially to Thailand, in search of opportunities. Our Laotian society is impoverished in its human resources."
In his vicariate, the bishop has around 1,000 Catholics (and some 50,000 faithful throughout Laos), spread throughout the territory. "We are only three priests, and often only the work of the catechists, more than 100 of them, allows us to follow, accompany, and visit Catholic families who, in their daily lives, do not lose their faith. Our whole life is God's work: within the limitations imposed on us, we move forward, trusting in the Lord. We live our mission with humility and in the peace of the Lord: the Word of God is our strength." (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 5/9/2025)

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