Hanoi Parish Forms More Than 1,300 Children through Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement

More than 1,300 children are receiving Catholic faith formation through the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement at Thái Hà Parish in Hanoi, where Redemptorist priests, catechists and youth leaders combine religious instruction with prayer, sacramental preparation and community activities.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, the parish’s movement enrolled 1,346 children and involved 108 youth leaders, organized into 41 groups across four age-based branches.

Thái Hà Parish, served by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), is among the communities helping sustain the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM), a Catholic organization that forms young people through Scripture, the sacraments and Eucharistic devotion.

The movement traces its roots in Vietnam to 1929, when it was established as the Eucharistic Crusade. Its mission is to foster Christian maturity and prepare young people to put their faith into practice.

The parish’s catechetical ministry began in 1992, when Fr. Joseph Trịnh Ngọc Hiên, then a seminarian, initiated children’s religious instruction. In November 2007, Redemptorist priests and parishioners formally established the parish’s Eucharistic Youth Movement unit under the patronage of Saints Peter and Paul.

The unit became a pioneering center for the movement’s revival across the Archdiocese of Hanoi and the ecclesiastical province of Hanoi.

The four branches provide age-appropriate formation, from introducing younger children to prayer and basic Catholic teaching to helping older members study Scripture and apply Christian moral principles in daily life.

The parish’s sacramental ministry also remains central to its work. During the past year, 156 children received their First Holy Communion, while 147 young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Children and young people also participate in Eucharistic adoration, Mass, seasonal confessions and the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum, the three-day celebration of Christ’s Passion, death and Resurrection.

The program extends beyond catechism classes through summer camps, youth leadership training, Christmas pageants and a traditional bánh chưng wrapping activity associated with Vietnam’s Lunar New Year. These activities encourage teamwork, leadership, family relationships and concern for people in need.

Youth leader Mary Đan Phượng said her involvement in the movement had helped deepen her faith and develop her capacity to serve others.

“The environment here has nurtured, preserved, and matured my life of faith,” she said, adding that serving children and working alongside fellow youth leaders had helped her grow.

She expressed hope that she could continue serving and pass on to future generations the faith and experience she had received.

The movement at Thái Hà is guided by chaplain Fr. John Nguyễn Đức Phú, assisted by Fr. Joseph Vũ Văn Tiếp. Unit head Alfonso Trương Nhật Vinh works with catechists and youth leaders in coordinating formation activities.

The parish’s experience illustrates the role of organized youth ministry in Vietnam, where Catholic communities use catechesis, sacramental life and service to help younger generations grow in faith and participate actively in the Church.