How wonderful is the Brotherhood
of the San Francisco and Vietnam Districts!

THE COUNTRY

Vietnam is a country of 345.000km² with a population of 72 million less than 1% of which are different ethnic minorities. The government has tried to reduce the rate of population from 2.6% ten years. ago to 1, 5%. The youth constitutes 40% of the population, that is 30 millions under 25. The country is rich in natural resources such as rice, coffee… and petrol with an abundant labor force which is both industrious and cheap.

The majority of the population is non-Christian practicing Confucianism, Buddhism or ancestor cult. Christians come up with only 8%. There are also some less popular sects such as Cao Dai, Hoa Hao. All these religions co-exist peacefully as - like many other Asians - the Vietnamese are tolerant sticking to the Good rather than the Truth.

San Francisco District has helped provide with
the salary of instructors of the gratuitous woodcraft class at DucMinh

France settled in Vietnam since the 19^th century. The North and the Center Vietnam went under French protectorate while the South Vietnam became its colony. However from 1930 insurrections sparked in places. In 1941, the Japanese took advantage of the defeat of France by Germany to occupy French Indochina. Nationalist and communist leaders exploited this political situation to launch a movement of national independence. After 1945, France attempted to take control again and the war lasted for 9 years. This did not come to an end until the French’s defeat in Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

The Geneva Agreement in 1954 focused on the division of the country into the communist North and the nationalist South. There was no more war but conflict is latent. The Paris Agreement in 1973 tried to establish a pacific co-existence, unfortunately this did not last long. In March 1975 Northern troops invaded the South and caused the collapse of Saigon on April 30^th 1975. A new page of Vietnam history was turned.

the construction of "classrooms of Charity"

Then came arrests, imprisonments, re-education camps, nationalization of private schools, banning priests and religious from educational work. This strict system went on for nearly ten years. In 1987 the failure of agriculture cooperative and new economic zone policies forced the government to reform and loosen it grips. Eventually the disintegration of the East Europe block helped drive the final nail. Ideology was put to lower profile, five-category and market economy was put forward.

The Church took advantage of this liberation to obtain the re-opening of seminaries, admission of new candidates every two years instead of six years as ruled by authorities, the permission for seminaries to exchange their faculty. Religious are not required to ask for permission to gather for their retreat, they just have to inform the local authorities. Theological formation workshops for religious are allowed. Those reforms are slow and their implementation depends very much on the discretion of the local authorities.

THE BROTHERS: Environment and Work

The Lasallian Brothers have been in Vietnam since 1866, they were sent by Brother Superior General Philippe to the request of civil and religious authorities. They settled in Saigon and from there extended rapidly to all over the country: My Tho (1867), Vinh Long (1869), Thu Duc (1896), Hanoi (1894), Hue (1904), Hai Phong (1906), Nam Dinh (1924), Phat Diem, Binh Dinh (1932), Nha Trang (1933), Bui Chu (1934), Dalat (1941), Kontum (1956) …

Before 1975, the District of Vietnam was prosperous with 300 Brothers, some fifteen novices, a hundred of aspirants. They ran 23 educational institutions including primary, secondary, technical schools, boarder schools for Vietnamese and ethnic students, a center for the blind and an Institute of Pedagogy. Youth movements were blooming: YCS, Marial Congregation, Scouting etc.

April 1975 events stormed the District and swept off everything: schools nationalized, houses requisitioned, communities disorganized. A number of Brothers fled abroad, many went back to their families, or left the congregation. The Brothers were anxious, they were perplexed about the future and they were not even sure about the present: lost of schools, houses, job, being under close surveillance and worries … Such crisis came to a peak when the Brothers of a school in the outskirt of Saigon were arrested: two were sentenced one to 11 years of imprisonment, another to 12 years, a dozen others were sent to re-education camp for from 3 to 5 years. In 1978 a governmental decree declared priests and religious inappropriate for teaching in socialist schools.

The brothers had to wait up 1980 to experience some peace. During all this troubled period, the Brothers mainly and merely tried to stabilize their communities and when the crisis had passed they started to consolidate their communities from inside through monthly recollections, annual retreats, gathering for those in the region of Saigon on the occasion of a number of feasts or … funerals. From 1987 on, the emphasis was extended to mission.

Taking advantage of the loosening of the political system the Brothers modestly returned to their work: teaching, catechism, and youth animation. Since then, they set up boarding houses, tutorials classes covering subjects like computer, language, mathematics and sciences. They lead Young Catholic Student, Bible sharing, Karate meetings. They run woodcraft and motorcycle mechanics training workshops. They also sponsor two charity classes in District 7 for those children who are too poor to attend schools. (In Vietnam, even state schools require the parents to cover at least 40% of the tuition). Together with a group of volunteer practitioners, they visit peasants in remote areas giving medical checkups and distributing medicine. In many regions they provide catechism in parishes and give a helpful hand to the local clergy in training catechists. In the Archdiocese of Saigon, the Brothers collaborate with the Association of Inter-Congregations of Religious teaching in the Inter-Congregation Institute of Theology.

to build a new postulancy house in Phu Son

One of the Brothers’ major concerns pertains to Pastoral of Vocation, specially the Formation.

Currently there are 44 live-in young men who are attending tertiary institutions and are accompanied by one or more Brothers. After their studies, they are allowed to apply for their admission to the postulancy in Phu Son, 50 km North of Saigon. This 18-month postulancy precedes the Novitiate in Tan Cang which is planned equally for another 18 months.

After their first vows, those new young professed proceed to the Scolasticate where they will stay for 3 years for their theological and professional formation. These courses are also offered to religious of some other congregations. This year, 16 lasallian scholastics are having their formation.

The District population amounts to 90 Brothers with an average age of 54.6. One of the great advantages the Brothers in Vietnam have is that freed from big institutions, they are no more under the pressure of ever urgent school responsibilities. Another great asset is that they continue to have vocations (This is something that few Districts can hardly dream of). Therefore the Brothers give great importance to the formation of their new recruits.

FRATERNAL SUPPORT

To carry on this crucial task, besides freedom of action ,the Brothers in Vietnam need also means in many aspects. Fortunately, they have been able to rely on fraternal support from the Districts of France, Mexico, Spain, England, the Philippines, and especially on generous and devoted aids from Brother Noel Bois of SECOLI and from Brother David Brennan, Visitor and the Brothers of the District of San Francisco, USA.

Thanks to the latter’s substantial assistance, the District has been able to foster initial formation program and English language courses for young Brothers for the period of 1998- 2003 and to build a new postulancy house in Phu Son.

the new 15-seat van

The elderly Brothers in Mai Thon are most grateful for the funding of the consolidation of the dike and the Brothers’ cemetery. They are also happy with the new 15-seat van

Besides, it has helped provide with the salary of instructors of the gratuitous woodcraft class, the construction of two classrooms and a small chapel for the inhabitants in Xom Hue.

the construction of two classrooms and a small chapel for the inhabitants in Xom Hue

This generosity has been extended to the Lasallian Sisters, too. The transatlantic money made it possible to build their cozy Novitiate and a spacious Chapel.

The in-construction Retreat Center in Mai Thon is also the fruit of this Lasallian solidarity.

In spite of the current difficulties, the Brothers in Vietnam are most grateful to the Divine Providence who had led them so mysteriously through darkness of history and has acted so efficiently through lasallian interdependence and association. They look forward to the future with confidence, fully believing that God never abandons His work.

Brothers David, Vr. and Raphael, former-Vr. of SF District
visited Vietnam District on November 27-December 1, 2001

Visit Vocational Classes at DucMinh and Reception by DucMinh Community

Visit "Classe of Charity" at District 7 - Saigon

Reception at the Provincialate by the District Council of Vietnam

Brother Francois Anh, Vr. of Vietnam District,
and Brothers Lucien Quang, former-Vr. and Raymond Hinh
visited San Francisco District on August 28, 2002