THAI BINH (UCAN): The Diocese of Thai Binh, in northern Vietnam, began the construction of a huge major seminary to meet an increasing need for priestly formation.
On January 1, Bishop Peter Nguyen Van De presided at the ground breaking ceremony marking the commencement of the construction of the new Sacred Heart Major Seminary on the outskirts of Thai Binh City. Hundreds of people and benefactors attended the event.
The 47-year-old bishop said the new building was urgent as it would replace the old building, which was in bad condition and could not provide enough rooms for 183 students.
Since 2017, half of the seminarians have studied at the old seminary and the rest have studied at the Bishop’s House. This situation caused many difficulties for students and teachers.
Bishop Nguyen said priestly formation is fundamental to the local Church, which needs priests.
He urged everyone to offer financial assistance and work together to complete the construction to meet the increasing need to train priests.
The bishop asked families donate at least 50,000 dong ($16.7) monthly.
Father Joseph Tran Xuan Chieu, head of the construction board, said the old building was demolished in November and many people including non-Catholics volunteered to clear the ground for the new building’s foundation.
Father Tran said the new U-shaped six-storey building includes a chapel, library and conference rooms and is situated on 17,000 square metres of land and surrounded by statues, plants, lakes and sport facilities.
According to Church records, the old seminary was built in 1937, a year after the diocese’s establishment. The seminary was closed many times due to wars and mass starvation.
In 1972, the communist government allowed the late Bishop Dominic Mary Dinh Duc Tru to provide a training course for nine seminarians and six priests at the seminary. They graduated in 1977.
No further courses were organised until 2008 when the late Bishop Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Sang received government permits to reopen the seminary and offer a three-year refresher course to 30 elderly seminarians. After that new students were recruited from the diocese and other places.
Bishop Nguyen ordained 26 seminarians as deacons and 11 others as priests on 7 December 2019. They are the first batch to finish the seminary’s eight-year course in philosophy and theology held at the since it reopened in 2008.
The Diocese of Thai Binh has 138 priests ministering to 160,000 Catholics in the provinces of Thai Binh and Hung Yen.
