NOVEMBER 24, 2011Volume LXXXVI • Number 4
www.evangelist.org
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Senior Lifestyles
T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E D I O C E S E O F A L B A N Y
A special section focuses on issues of interest to senior citizens: Pages 5-15
Advent BeginsRev. John Rosson of Cooperstown begins a seriesof reflections for the weeks of Advent: Page 4
ADVENT ARRIVES
BY ANGELA CAVES T A F F W R I T E R
While many localCatholics roast turkeysthis Thanksgiving, onegroup will reflect on thesacrifices their ances-tors made for the free-dom to practice theirreligion.
The VietnameseApostolate, based out ofSacred Heart parish inAlbany, will celebrate
the feast day of the Vietnamesemartyrs — a date observed onNov. 24 each year.
The Vietnamese Americans,many of whom are refugees whoemigrated to the Albany Dio-cese, said the coincidence indates will enhance the meaningof Thanksgiving for them.
“What a great way to givethanks,” said Thuy Nguyen, whofled Vietnam and moved to theCapital District more than 30
years ago at theage of 17.
She will attendthe Mass beforeeating a tradi-tional AmericanT h a n k s g i v i n gdinner: “I just feel
so happy and so sacred that thetwo days match up.”
Thanksgiving is a Vietnameseholiday, too, though it’s usuallycombined with other holidaysduring Tet, the week-long LunarNew Year at the end of January.
“They’re thankful for theirlives, for their safety. If they makeit to America, it’s a miracle,” saidRev. Quy Vo, a native of Vietnamwho serves as associate pastor atBlessed Sacrament parish in
Albany and occasional ministerto the Vietnamese Apostolate.
“It’s a day of rememberingboth the living and the dead,”Father Vo added. “The way weexpress we’re thankful is to go tochurch and pray for them.”
Sunday Masses in theVietnamese language are cur-rently offered a maximum ofonce a month for the 75 familiesin the apostolate, which spansmore than 10 counties in theDiocese. To attend a Marian cel-ebration, a group of VietnameseAmericans from eastern U.S.states, including New York, trav-el to Buffalo each year.
This is the first time in more
LITURGY PLANNED
For Vietnamese Catholics,Thanksgiving coincideswith martyrs’ feast day
The Mass for the Vietnamese martyrs’ feast day will beheld Nov. 24, 10:30 a.m., at Sacred Heart Church inAlbany. For information, call Father Vo at 482-3375.
A 2006 TRIBUTE TO THE VIETNAMESEMARTYRS, HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA (CNS PHOTO/TIM RUE)
VIETNAMESE CATHOLICS, SEE PAGE 17
AS THE BEGINNING of Advent approaches, Stacia and Kevin Malone decorate an Advent candle with 10-year-olddaughter Nina during a family faith formation and Advent-wreath-making session at St. Lucy/St. Bernadette parish inAltamont. For more photos, see page 3. (Nate Whitchurch photo)
WHAT DO CATHOLICS WANT?RELIGIOUS FREEDOMBY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Washington — Current andpast members of the U.S.Commission on InternationalReligious Freedom urgedCongress Nov. 17 to keep therights-monitoring agency aliveand said its work must be givenhigher priority in foreign policy.
The commission’s congres-sional mandate technicallyexpired Nov. 18, but an exten-sion until Dec. 16 was includedin the “minibus” continuingappropriations resolution ap-proved by the House andSenate and signed by PresidentBarack Obama.
Legislation to authorize thecommission still faces a sepa-rate vote before the continuingresolution — intended to keepthe government operating dur-
NON-VIOLENCEINITIATIVESBY PETER FINNEY JR.C A T H O L I C N E W S S E R V I C E
New Orleans — Churchesand faith-based groups need tocollectively pressure publicofficials to use initiatives thathave been proven to reducemurder and violent crime inseveral U.S. cities, a NewOrleans pastor told the PICONational Gathering of ClergyNov. 15.
The Rev. Antoine Barrieresaid high rates of violent crimeare tied to low-quality publiceducation, “mass incarceration”of African-Americans andLatinos, and ex-offenders’ limit-ed access to decent jobs afterthey leave prison.
His comments wrapped up
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, SEE PAGE 21 NON-VIOLENCE INITIATIVES, SEE PAGE 18
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Thousands to choose fromthan 10 years that the local apos-tolate has secured a priest to cel-ebrate the feast day of theVietnamese martyrs.
In 1988, Pope John Paul II can-onized the 117 martyrs. Their col-lective story began in the 17th cen-tury: After Jesuit missionariesbrought Catholicism to Vietnam,a king there banned foreign mis-sionaries and tried to force hispeople to trample on a crucifix.
Persecutions of VietnameseCatholics were launched threetimes in the 19th century. Somerecords estimate that between100,000 and 300,000 Catholicswere killed or tortured.
The first Vietnamese martyr,St. Andrew Dung-Lac, was anative priest who was captured,imprisoned and beheaded forconverting others to Christi-anity. He came to represent allthe named martyrs, who camefrom Vietnam, Spain and Franceand included 50 priests, eightbishops, 42 laypeople, 16 cate-chists and one seminarian.
“Even though [their feast day]is not celebrated in the Church,it’s always on our mind, everytime we say a prayer,” said Ms.Nguyen, who attends Our Lady ofFatima parish in Schenectady.“We are so honored and we are soproud that [the martyrs] areVietnamese blood. They are theones that proclaim the faith andthe love we have for JesusChrist.”
The martyrs are rememberedin American Masses around thefeast day, but the cultural differ-ences can disappoint Vietnam-ese Americans.
“We are coming from theVietnamese Church into theAmerican Church,” said FatherVo, who emigrated to Americaat the age of 11. “That’s a differentthing.”
Local Vietnamese Catholicssaid it is common for Catholicsin Vietnam to attend daily Massand honor Mary with statues intheir homes and processions inchurches.
But “no matter where you go, Ithink there is unity,” Father Vosaid of the worldwide Church.
Father Vo said descendants ofVietnamese Catholics whocame to America in the 1970sare losing sight of their heritage.
The feast day “is a way of pre-serving their faith and genera-tion and cultures,” he said; “tohelp them create their own iden-tity of who they are in America.”
Johnny Tran, an apostolateand Sacred Heart parishioner,said the local Vietnamese com-munity is “really lucky to haveFather Vo here” to celebrate thefeast day Mass. “It’s the perfectopportunity to look back andthank God and to learn the les-son of history and discuss thecurrent situation of the Church.”
VIETNAMESECATHOLICSVIETNAMESE CATHOLICS, FROM PAGE 1
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