A Guanellian house brings the Founder's charity to remote lands. Future hopes
of the Servants of Charity in that distant country
by Father Soosai Rathinam, vicar general
LLast fall, from October 22nd to November 12th, I visited the Guanellian works in the Far East. I would like to offer Servire readers some information on the Guanellian presence in Vietnam, because I found it an admirable reality in the present and full of hope for the future.
As the plane descended into Tan Son Nhat International Airport, flying over the great city of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), I tried to spot the Guanellian Home, which is not far from the airport. At the airport, the confreres welcomed me warmly and immediately gave me a taste of the "family spirit" of Don Guanella, transplanted to such a distant land.
The four Guanellian priests, Father Felicks and Father Fernandez (both Indian), along with the Vietnamese Fathers Hoang and Dao, are a close-knit group, despite their diverse cultural backgrounds. I also want to mention the other two Vietnamese Guanellians, Father Dien, currently in Manila, and Father Khiet, serving in the Solomon Islands, who are bringing the Guanellian charism beyond their homeland.
The Guanellians have been present in Ho Chi Minh City since August 21, 2009, and over the past fifteen years they have carried out the mission of Saint Luigi Guanella there, which is to show the loving face of Divine Providence to those most in need. It must be added, however, that the Vietnamese Church is fertile ground, deeply rooted in faith in Christ, founded on good Christian families, and rich in hard work.
The Servants of Charity have opened a House that is not only efficient but also rapidly expanding. Their work is based on three pillars: the formation of young aspirants to our Congregation, merciful charity toward the poor, and community life.
Commitment to formation is at the heart of the Guanellians' work in Vietnam. Unlike countries where vocations are declining, Vietnam offers a generous influx of young people eager to answer God's call. Our House of Formation offers intense spiritual and academic growth, which can accompany future Guanellian priests and brothers in their growth. Currently, alongside the priests, there are ten young confreres who have made their religious profession and four seminarians preparing for it. To receive the necessary intellectual formation, our students attend the theological and philosophical schools of the Dominican Fathers and the Salesians, present in Ho Chi Minh City.
In keeping with the mission of Saint Luigi Guanella, the Ho Chi Minh community also dedicates itself primarily to those suffering various forms of abandonment and hardship. It should be noted, however, that due to Vietnamese legislation that oversees the initiatives of the Catholic Church, it has not yet been possible to obtain authorization for an independent work of the Congregation, and therefore the Guanellians collaborate with existing charitable organizations.
In the Cu Chi neighborhood, a layperson runs a retirement home called Opera del Santuario. It welcomes elderly people who have no one to care for them. The Guanellians collaborate with this nursing home, focusing on providing dignified care, keeping the elderly company and offering them spiritual assistance.
The seminarians, instead, serve once a week at the House of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, who care for the disabled, Don Guanella's "good children." They are involved in managing specific programs for children with disabilities.
Finally, there is the pastoral work carried out by Guanellian priests. They serve in two local parishes, one in the Ben Hai neighborhood of the capital and the other in the city of Bien Hoa, located in the metropolitan area. In these diocesan parishes, the Guanellians collaborate with the local clergy in the celebration of the sacraments, in catechesis, and in social programs, fully integrating themselves into the fabric of the local Church.
The community life of the Guanellians in Vietnam, which is characterized by simplicity, prayer and assiduous service, is a powerful testimony of the Gospel among the population.
who are in contact with our brothers. By living the spirituality of entrustment to Divine Providence, they demonstrate that true joy is not found in material wealth, but in entrusting oneself to God and serving the most vulnerable, especially through the monthly distribution of food.
This visit to the Guanellian community in Vietnam has convinced me of the good future prospects of Opera Don Guanella in this country. I believe Vietnam can become a significant source of vocations, supporting and expanding the missionary work of the entire Congregation. Once trained, the new Vietnamese confreres will be ready to be sent to existing missions and will thus be able to infuse new energy into other Provinces of the Congregation. This first and foremost addresses the global need for personnel felt by Opera Don Guanella, but it also strengthens the international dimension of the Stella Maris Delegation, which is seeking to expand into the countries of the Far East. We can certainly say that the current Guanellian mission is only just beginning, but the growth of local vocations will increase its capacity for expansion. We hope that the hour of Providence will come when it will be possible to establish our own Works, such as centers dedicated to the intellectually disabled (which Vietnam needs) and retirement homes for the destitute and dying who are left on the streets.
These are not dreams, but desires to bring Don Guanella's charity to that country. Therefore, we ask for your support for this mission in the Far East through prayers and material aid, so that the light of Divine Providence may shine in Vietnam.