Amid harsh persecutions, the embattled Church in Vietnam has received two new bishops for two key archdioceses.
On Oct. 15, Pope Benedict XVI elevated to the office of bishop Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Kham of Saigon archdiocese, and Fr. Laurent Chu Van Minh of Hanoi archdiocese.
Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Kham, the director of Saigon Pastoral Center, was born in Ha Dong, Vietnam in 1952. After the Communists’ takeover of the North, he went to the South with his family. He had studied at Can Tho Minor Seminary before studying philosophy at Saint Thomas Seminary in Long Xuyen and then theology at Saint Joseph´s Major Seminary in Saigon. Ordained a priest in 1980, Fr. Nguyen also received his doctorate in pastoral theology from the Catholic University of America (2001-2004).
On returning to Vietnam in 2004, he has since been the director of Saigon Pastoral Center. In March, 2008 he was appointed the executive secretary of the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop-elect Peter Nguyen will serve the Saigon archdiocese as an auxiliary bishop. The archdiocese, with an area of 2,093 km2 and a population of 6,129,000 people, has 640,437 Catholics served by 751 priests and 5.442 religious.
His ordination Mass will be held in Nov. 11.
Bishop-elect Laurent Chu Van Minh, the rector of Hanoi’s St. Joseph Major Seminary, has been appointed as an auxiliary bishop for the 328,725 Catholics of Hanoi archdiocese.
Born in Nam Dinh, Vietnam in 1943, he had studied philosophy and theology at Nam Dinh during the period from 1960 to 1967 before being banned from his priestly education by the communist government.
He returned home living with his family and worked as a hairdresser, serving as a catechist in his parish. In 1992, he was allowed to study theology, which he completed in 1994. Finally, on June 10, 1994 Laurent Chu was ordained a priest at the age of 51.
After serving one year in Nam Dinh, he continued his studies at Pontificia Università Urbaniana and received his doctorate in doctrinal theology in 2000. He has since been doctrinal theology professor at Hanoi’s St. Joseph Major Seminary. He was appointed vice-rector in 2003, and then rector of the seminary in 2006.
Hanoi archdiocese with an area of 7,000 km2 and a population of 5,300,000 people, has 328,725 Catholics served by 69 priests and 278 religious.
On Oct. 15, Pope Benedict XVI elevated to the office of bishop Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Kham of Saigon archdiocese, and Fr. Laurent Chu Van Minh of Hanoi archdiocese.
Fr. Peter Nguyen Van Kham, the director of Saigon Pastoral Center, was born in Ha Dong, Vietnam in 1952. After the Communists’ takeover of the North, he went to the South with his family. He had studied at Can Tho Minor Seminary before studying philosophy at Saint Thomas Seminary in Long Xuyen and then theology at Saint Joseph´s Major Seminary in Saigon. Ordained a priest in 1980, Fr. Nguyen also received his doctorate in pastoral theology from the Catholic University of America (2001-2004).
On returning to Vietnam in 2004, he has since been the director of Saigon Pastoral Center. In March, 2008 he was appointed the executive secretary of the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop-elect Peter Nguyen will serve the Saigon archdiocese as an auxiliary bishop. The archdiocese, with an area of 2,093 km2 and a population of 6,129,000 people, has 640,437 Catholics served by 751 priests and 5.442 religious.
His ordination Mass will be held in Nov. 11.
Bishop-elect Laurent Chu Van Minh, the rector of Hanoi’s St. Joseph Major Seminary, has been appointed as an auxiliary bishop for the 328,725 Catholics of Hanoi archdiocese.
Born in Nam Dinh, Vietnam in 1943, he had studied philosophy and theology at Nam Dinh during the period from 1960 to 1967 before being banned from his priestly education by the communist government.
He returned home living with his family and worked as a hairdresser, serving as a catechist in his parish. In 1992, he was allowed to study theology, which he completed in 1994. Finally, on June 10, 1994 Laurent Chu was ordained a priest at the age of 51.
After serving one year in Nam Dinh, he continued his studies at Pontificia Università Urbaniana and received his doctorate in doctrinal theology in 2000. He has since been doctrinal theology professor at Hanoi’s St. Joseph Major Seminary. He was appointed vice-rector in 2003, and then rector of the seminary in 2006.
Hanoi archdiocese with an area of 7,000 km2 and a population of 5,300,000 people, has 328,725 Catholics served by 69 priests and 278 religious.