Mission Among The Montagnards of the Highlands of Vietnam

Ethnic Tribal Montagnards are the dominant group that live in the Highlands of Central Vietnam.

They are Animists by Religion.

They have a constant hunger for Jesus Christ in His Holy Sacrament and in His Holy Word.

They see Jesus Christ as their "Divine Physician" of their souls and of their bodies.

To them, Jesus Christ is the Universal Saviour that sets them free from Sin and Bondage.

Evangelization Work among Tribal Montagnards has been highly and hugely successful since 2003.

There has been a wave of conversions to the Catholic Faith among Tribal Montagnards since 2008.

In 2008, 30,000 Montagnards embraced the Catholic Faith and in 2009 20,000 Montagnards embraced the Catholic Faith.

The Catholic Church is growing rapidly in the highlands of Central Vietnam and in North Vietnam too to a considerable extent.

Praised be Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament for the miracles he is working among the Montagnard People.

Here are 3 interesting links on Catholicism in Vietnam.

1) Mission among the Montagnards living in remote areas

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Mission-among-the-Montagnards-living-in-remote-areas-20713.html

2)  The Church grows in Lang Son and Bui Chu

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-Church-grows-in-Lang-Son-and-Bui-Chu-10054.html

 3)  Fr Nguyễn Văn Mạnh, new bishop coadjutor in the diocese of Dalat

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Fr-Nguy%E1%BB%85n-V%C4%83n-M%E1%BA%A1nh,-new-bishop-coadjutor-in-the-diocese-of-Dalat-40627.html

Catholicism in Cambodia

The Cambodian Catholic Church is a small community with a great history.

The history of Catholic missionary work began in 1554 with a visit by a Jesuit Missionary Priest.

The first Catholic Parishes were founded in the 17th century by Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans.

In the 1700's  the Catechism was translated into Khmer by the priests of the Paris Foreign Missions and in 1850 the Apostolic Prefecture of Cambodia was created.

The first Cambodian born priest was ordained in 1957.

Only in 1990 were Christians allowed to practice their faith. 

Here is an interesting link on Catholicism in Cambodia.

Cambodian Church celebrated Easter with 300 new baptisms

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Cambodian-Church-celebrating-Easter-with-300-new-baptisms-40469.html

Martyrs honoured in Central Vietnam

Catholics from a Central Vietnam Diocese celebrated 400 years of the Faith and remembered Martyrs who were killed for the Faith.

Three Jesuit Missionaries established the first mission station in the 1600's in Central Vietnam.

From that Mission Station, the Missionaries promoted Catholicism to all the surrounding places.

The Missionaries were responsible for the romanisation of the Vietnamese Language.

This Anniversary Event of 400 years of the Faith was aimed at remembering ancestors of present day Vietnamese Catholics who sacrificed their own lives willingly for the spread of the Catholic Faith in Central Vietnam.

More than 20,000 Catholics were martyred in Vietnam in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Andrew Yen was the first Vietnamese who was killed for following the Catholic Faith on July 26, 1644. He was beatified by Saint Pope John Paul 2 in March 2000.

He is known as the Patron of Catholic Catechists in Vietnam.

It seems to me that the Catholic Faith is spreading rapidly in Vietnam as it is in China. 

Credits and References :

Martyrs honoured as Diocese celebrates 400 years
International Catholic News 
Page 21
The Examiner, Mumbai
August 5-11, 2017
Vol 168, N0-31

Edmund Bojanowski -- A Noble Soul

Introduction :

Edmund Bojanowski was born on the 14th of November 1814 into the noble family of Grobonog of the principality of Poznan.

From a young age, Edmund nurtured a great love for Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, and the Church.

Edmund was a sickly child when he was young. He was so sick once, that his mother took him to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows at Gostyn to pray for his recovery that took place miraculously.

Proof of His Cure is evident in that Marian Shrine.

Since, He was a sickly child, He was taught at home. He often meditated on the Gospels where he got an insight into the Personality and Spirituality of Jesus. His attendance at Daily Mass was 100 %.

Later, when he was older he helped country folks to live their spiritual lives intensely for Jesus and Mary.

Founder of a Religious Order of Women :

In 1850, He founded an Institute to instruct and educate children in the faith and in life.

With this purpose in mind, he asked for the help of simple polish catholic girls who were not very literate but rich in the faith.

He saw to it that they were adequately trained for the project in hand.

He taught these peasant girls about daily prayer, meditation, spiritual reading, and making a weekly confession.

In order, to spread education in the countryside, care, and helping the sick Edmund used up a large amount of his Inheritance.

He was indeed to the nth degree a Genuine Catholic giving everything to Jesus and to others.

Edmund's Life ended on August 17, 1871 near the Marian Shrine of Gorka Duchowna.

The Congregation He founded numbered 22 Houses in the Poznan District and almost a 100 Sisters.

Credits and References :

Nobility in a Simple Soul
Edmund Bojanowski
1814-1871
By Paolo Risso
Pages 12-14
Don Bosco's Madonna, Mumbai
September 2007, Vol - 9, N0-5 

Istevan Sandor -- A Unique Martyr

Introduction : 

Istevan Sandor's Family was from the Hungarian Nobility and were deeply catholic in more ways than one.

Stephen -- Istevan in Hungarian had a pleasant and generous nature.

The Priests of His Parish noticed his good qualities and advised him to join the Salesians.

As, He grew older he wanted to dedicate himself completely to educating the youth teaching them to love Jesus Christ.

The Young Salesian :

He worked in the Railways in Hungary but he soon began to understand that he wanted to follow Christ in the footsteps of Don Bosco. He joined the Aspirantate of the Salesians where he excelled and was soon accepted into the Novitiate.

When Istevan was 20 years old, he was called up by the Army during the Second World War.

All through his Military Service, He was an Exemplary Salesian. The Barracks and the Trenches became his Oratory.

Soon after the Second World War, Hungary was suppressed by Stalin and became a Communist State.

The Property of the Catholic Church was confiscated and the Catholic Schools were taken over by the Communist Authorities.

Istevan who was working at a Salesian Printing Press at that time saved a number of Printing Machines and Furniture at a great cost to himself.

Martyr for Jesus Christ :

Istevan had to leave not only the printing press but the Salesian Community where He was an Integral Member.

His Desire was to remain faithful to Jesus Christ even unto death.

On a certain day, in July 1952 the Hungarian Police arrested him. He was in prison for about a year.

After this, at a farce of a trial He was condemned to death for subversive activity.

The reality was that He was faithful to Christ, to Don Bosco, and to his Catholic Identity.

In 1953, Istevan Sandor was hanged. He suffered under Stalin for love to Jesus Christ.

A Salesian and Martyr only for Him.

Credits and References :

Suffered under Stalin
Istevan Sandor
By Paolo Risso
Pages 12-14
Don Bosco's Madonna, Mumbai
January 2008, Vol - 9, N0 - 9 

Catholicism in Eastern India

Catholicism was introduced in Eastern India in the late 19th Century in the State of Jharkhand as it is called now by Pioneer Belgian and Dutch Jesuit Missionaries.

The most prominent of them was Father Constant Lievens S.J. -- The Apostle of Chotanagpur.

He arrived in Ranchi -- The Headquarters of the Chotanagpur Plateau in 1885. He did not know at that time what the future held for him in terms of evangelization and as a Missionary Pastor too.

With strong faith in God, he started educating and evangelizing Animist Oraon Tribals in Ranchi and in the surrounding areas too.

From 1885-1892, He Evangelized more than 7,000 Tribals to Catholicism. To be one with them, He mastered a number of local languages like Sadri and Khadri.

They are dialects of "Tribal Hindi" spoken by the Aboriginals of the Chotanagpur Plateau.

Today, in 2017 Ranchi is an Archdiocese with many independent Dioceses under it like Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, and Daltonganj to name a few.

The Oraon Tribals from Ranchi to Daltonganj seem very receptive to the Gospel Message. They see Jesus Christ as their Liberator and Saviour from Physical and Spiritual Bondage.

In a number of districts in West Bengal like Burdwan, Bankura, and Purulia to mention a few-- Santal Aboriginals seem very receptive to the liberating message of Jesus Christ.

There have been many conversions to Catholicism among Santal Tribals for the past 50 years or more.

This is mostly due to Pioneering Missionary Work by Salesian Fathers and Brothers specially from Spain.

Iraqi Catholic Christians

Introduction and History :

Iraqi Catholic Christians also known as "Chaldean Catholics" are an Ancient Catholic Community that exists in the Middle East.

There are less than 400, 000 left today in Iraq. 75% of all Iraqi Christians are "Chaldean Catholics".

The Chaldean Catholic Church was founded in Babylon in "Ancient Mesopotamia" sometime during the 2nd Century A.D.

The Chaldean People who lived in and around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were evangelized by Saint Jude Thaddeus, An Apostle of Jesus Christ sometime towards the middle of the First Century A.D. to Christianity.

They are one of 3-4 Catholic Communities in the Middle East that still speak "Aramaic" in word in the Liturgy as well as among themselves today.

Aramaic is the language that was spoken by Jesus Christ and His Apostles.

All About Chaldean Catholic Christians :

The Chaldean Catholic Church has been in communion with the Holy See at Rome for a number of Centuries, but specially from the 13th Century onwards.

During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries in Iraq there was a substantial rise in numbers among Chaldean Catholics.

This was due to conversions to the Catholic Faith by Eastern Rite Orthodox Chaldeans.

Missionary Dominican Friars were instrumental in evangelizing a large number of Orthodox Chaldeans in Iraq to the Catholic Faith specially in and around Mosul in the 1700's and 1800's.

Mosul in Northern Iraq was a large Archdiocese with many Parishes and Churches dedicated to Our Lady.

The Plains of Nineveh near Mosul witnessed the biggest ever Missionary Movement among Orthodox Chaldeans towards the Catholic Faith in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The vast majority of Chaldean Catholics used to live in Northern Iraq specially in Mosul, Erbil, and Qaraqosh.

The rest live in and around Baghdad and near Basra in Southern Iraq.

Chaldean Catholics of Iraq are "Very Precious" in terms of their Historical Significance and Spiritual Significance. They are Christianity's "Precious Soldiers".

Conclusion :

It is my prayer that Countries in the West will extend a helping hand to these Catholic Christians of Iraq with immediate effect.

Most importantly, Chaldean Catholic Christians of Iraq are the only "Native Catholic Christians in the Arabian Peninsula".

Let us do our utmost for them by word and by deed as they are "One of Our Own".