Vietnam: Lovers of Holy Cross Association Members Reflect on Missionary Discipleship through Synodal Conversation

Nearly 100 members of the Association of the Faithful of the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross (LHC) of Phan Thiet gathered at Kim Ngoc Church in southern Vietnam, on September 9 to celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and reflect on their vocation as missionary disciples.

Organized by the LHC sisters, the gathering provided participants with an opportunity to connect the spirituality of the Holy Cross with their daily lives and the Church’s continuing synodal journey.

Participants were divided into 10 groups for a Conversation in the Spirit centered on the theme, “As the Father Has Sent Me, So I Send You: The Church of Missionary Disciples.”

The spirituality handed down by the founder of the Lovers of the Holy Cross, Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte, emphasizes self-denial, total surrender to God and openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Participants found that this spirituality closely complemented the process of listening, discernment and sharing promoted by the Conversation in the Spirit.

Members shared personal experiences of faith, family relationships, forgiveness and prayer.

One woman spoke about her daughter-in-law, who was not Catholic. Her daughter-in-law’s mother had opposed the children attending church, believing that prayer at home was sufficient. Rather than responding with confrontation, the woman persevered in prayer. Over time, her daughter-in-law embraced the Catholic faith and began attending church regularly with her children.

Another participant spoke about a family dispute involving a substantial amount of money borrowed by her sister. Although she initially struggled with anger and disappointment, she gradually chose forgiveness and began praying for her sister. She also invited the other participants to join her in prayer.

The sharing helped participants recognize that missionary discipleship can be lived through ordinary acts of faith, particularly persistent prayer, forgiveness and patient accompaniment.

The Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross was founded in 1670 by French missionary Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte in northern Vietnam and established in southern Vietnam the following year. It became one of the earliest women’s religious institutes in Asia with a distinctly Asian character.

The congregation combines contemplative and apostolic spirituality. Its members live in community, profess the evangelical counsels through religious vows and serve the Church through evangelization, prayer and pastoral ministry, particularly by praying and working for the conversion of those who do not yet know God.

The gathering concluded with a devotional service followed by Holy Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Participants returned to their communities with a renewed commitment to prayer, forgiveness and service, seeking to live their daily lives as missionary disciples guided by the Holy Spirit.

(Sr. Teresa Chi is a Vietnamese sister of the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross. She serves as an English teacher and formation companion for postulants in Phan Thiet, southern Vietnam.)