The General Government conducted a Fraternal Visitation of the Province of Vietnam with a special visit and evaluation of the Formation Communities and the Formation Program in the Province of Vietnam. This Visitation was conducted by Fr Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R, General Consultor and Fr Joakim Ndelo, C.Ss.R., the Conference Coordinator for Asia Oceania. The visitation was conducted from the 24th of May to the 5th of June 2025.
Beginning of the visitation in Hanoi
The Visitation began in Hanoi in the North of Vietnam with a visit to the Aspirant community led by Fr. John Nguyen Duc Phu and his team. There are 16 Aspirants in the Aspirant house, and they go to study in different courses in College and University over a span of 4 to 5 years. They all come from the Northern part of Vietnam. They also help out in different pastoral activities in the parish and above all in teaching catechism to children on Sundays. This is a dynamic formation community that guides the young aspirants into the Redemptorist way of life. Fr. Ivel and Fr. Kimmy were able to interact with the Aspirants in a good session using both English and Vietnamese for the Aspirants to respond. They also had a meeting with the Formators and the community. The Visitation concluded with the Eucharist celebrated by Fr Ivel.
The visit in Hue
The Next part of the Visitation was in Hue in the Central part of Vietnam. In Hue Fr. Ivel and Fr Kimmy first visited the Aspirant House first. There are 24 Aspirants here in this formation community and they go to student in different courses in College and University over a span of 4 to 5 years. They all come from the Central Part of Vietnam. They are led by Fr. Augustine Le Quy Phi, the Director of the Hue Aspirancy. Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy with the group and had an interesting session interacting with the young aspirants who responded both in English and Vietnamese to the questions. They later met with the Formators and had a meeting with the formators to understand and evaluate the formation in the Aspirancy. The Visit concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by Fr Ivel.
Visit of the Novitiate Community in Hue
The next visit was to the Novitiate Community in Hue. There are 8 novices at the moment who come from different parts of Vietnam. They will all be professed on the 1st of July this year, 2025. They are led by the Novice Master Fr Dominic Tran That and his Socius Fr Thomas Aquinas. Fr. Ivel and Fr Kimmy had a long session with the Novices sharing with them about the Congregation and at the same time listening to them about their experience in the novitiate and understanding how they have come to learn and appreciate and live Redemptorist life and mission. Fr. Ivel and Fr. Kimmy then met with the Novice Master and Socius who shared their own experience of 8 years in formation and the program being followed. The visit concluded with the Eucharist celebrated and presided over by Fr Ivel who encouraged the novices in their last month of the novitiate to grow deeper into the love of Jesus and the following of the Redeemer as Missionaries of Hope. Fr. Ivel and Fr. Kimmy also spent time with the community of the Novitiate and participated in a celebration with both communities in the community garden.
Visit to Ho Chi Minh City in Saigon
The next part of the Visitation was to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Here, the visit began with the Aspirant House. There are 27 Aspirants here who come from the South of Vietnam and go to different colleges and universities in Saigon City. They are in different stages from the first to the 5th year of the Aspirancy program. They are led by Fr. Joseph Tran Huu Hoan the Aspirancy Director. Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy met with the group for two hours interacting with the group both in English and in Vietnamese with the help of a translator. Later Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy met with the formators to understand the program of formation and to listen to the formators. The visit concluded with the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr Ivel who encouraged the young aspirants in their journey to study and grow into the Redemptorist spirit. The community organised a festive meal and celebration at the end of the visit at which the provincial community was also present.
Visit of the Postulant House in Maithon
The Visitors, Fr. Ivel and Fr. Kimmy then went to visit the Postulant House in Maithon. Here there are 25 postulants who follow a two-year program. There are 11 postulants in the 2nd Year who are preparing to enter the novitiate shortly in the month of June. The remaining postulants are in the 1st Year. Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy had a very lively and interesting session for a couple of hours with the postulants discussing various aspects of Redemptorist life, Spirituality and Mission. Most of Postulants were able to converse freely in English. They have an inhouse tutor in English from Singapore, Miss Evelyn. Later, Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy met with the two formators led by Fr Joseph Nguyen Van Vuong and Fr Francis Xavier. The visit concluded with the Holy Eucharist presided over by Fr Ivel. There was a festive dinner and celebration organised in the garden of the Postulancy House for the Visitors, benefactors, and friends of the house of Postulancy.
Visit to St Alphonsus Major Seminary
The Visitors then moved to the Student house, St Alphonsus Major Seminary. The seminary houses the Redemptorist Students of Philosophy and Theology and is in Maithon. The seminary also welcomes seminarians from over 22 Religious Congregations who come as day scholars to study both Philosophy and Theology in the Redemptorist seminary.
The Visit begin with a meeting with the senior most students, the deacons who are preparing for ordination. There are 13 deacons at the moment. The meeting with Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy was very well planned and it gave an opportunity to the visitors to listen to the experiences of the deacons over their years of formation, their suggestions, concerns and hopes for formation in the province as well as for mission in the province.
The next part of the Visitation was a meeting with the entire Student body, both Philosophy and Theology of the seminary. There was a formal meeting with the entire student body where Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy interacted with the students. There are 79 Professed Redemptorist Students in Philosophy and Theology at the moment. It was a lively and interesting exchange, and the visitors listened to the experiences of the students. The day concluded with the Holy Eucharist presided over by Fr Ivel.
The next two days were spent in individual meetings with each of the 79 students as Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy met with the students personally who shared about their life in the Studentate, their academic, pastoral, spiritual, redemptorist and human formation. This was a wonderful time of sharing for each student and for the visitors. Fr Kimmy presided over the Eucharist and lauded the Province and the Formation Community for the spirit of community and unity present in the Province and in the community.
Meeting with the Formators
The Visitors, Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy then met with the Formators led by Fr. Joseph Nguyen Ngoc Bich the Rector and Prefect, the Vice Rector, the Dean of Studies, the Registrar, and the Spiritual Director. This was a time for sharing, listening, understanding, and suggestions for both the visitors and for the Formation team that leads and guides a large student body.
The Visitation concluded with a closing Eucharist presided over by Fr Ivel where he lauded the student house for the formation taking place and urged the entire team and student to continue as they seek to be Holy and Learned for the Apostolate, quoting from St Alphonsus. The visit ended with a wonderful and festive meal and celebration together.
Meeting with the Senior Confreres
On returning to the Provincial Community in Saigon Fr Ivel met with the community of the Seniors and aged confreres of the Province. He spent time with the community and met with the superior, with each of the senior fathers and brothers and also with the nursing and caring staff thanking them all for their witness of life and requesting their prayers for the mission of the Congregation.
Meeting with Vocation Team and Formators
Meeting with the Ongoing Formation team of formators 
Meeting with the Vocation promotion team 
Provincial Council and Secretariat of Formation in the Provincial House in Saigon
The visitors then had a meeting with the Vocation team consisting of Fr Paul and Bro Peter and both Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy lauded them for their wonderful work in promoting vocations in the Province and urged them to continue in the same spirit moving forward.
Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy then met with the Director and team for Transition to Ministry and Ongoing Formation, Fr. Joseph Do Dinh Tu (Vicar Provincial) and Bro Francis (Provincial Consultor) and Fr Joseph. This was a very fruitful encounter as the visitors learnt about the program for ongoing formation for young confreres in ministry. There are 35 young confreres in 5 years of ministry at this moment in the Province.
The Visitors, Fr Ivel and Fr Kimmy then met with the Provincial Council and the Secretariat of Formation to share their impressions of their visitation and to offer some suggestions for the formation program in the province moving forward. This was a very fruitful exchange between the council and the visitors.
Conclusion of the visit
The Visitation led by Fr Ivel (General Consultor) and accompanied by Fr Kimmy (Conference Coordinator) concluded with a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr Ivel. Fr Ivel spoke on the theme of Unity as the need to work to Unity which is not conformity but which despite diversity is a gift of the Spirit. He lauded the wonderful spirit of community, fraternity, hospitality, closeness to the poor, missionary spirit and zeal in the Province. He thanked the province for its generous contribution of personnel to different parts of the Congregation especially in the Conference of Asia Oceania. At the end of the Eucharist, he thanked the Provincial for support and donation made by the Province of Vietnam to the General House for the renovation of Casa San Alfonso in Rome and presented the Provincial Fr Dominic with a special gift from the Superior General Fr. Rogerio Gomes. Fr Ivel also thanked the Provincial Council, the team of Formators of the Province and the Secretariat of formation led by Fr Joseph Pham Dinh Tri and assisted by Fr Dominic Tran for their planning and organizing of the visitation. Both Fr Kimmy and Fr Ivel appreciated the hospitality shown, the generosity of the confreres, the spirit of zeal and missionary endeavour, and the dynamic formation program in the province of Vietnam which is an example to the rest of the Congregation.
Finally, Fr Dominic, the Provincial of Vietnam, expressed his thanks to Fr Ivel and to Fr Kimmy for their patience, kindness, availability, and openness to journey with the confreres during the Visitation and for the suggestions made and promised that the suggestions would be taken up with enthusiasm.
Fr. Joseph Pham Dinh Tri, C.Ss.R.
Secretary of Formation
Province of Vietnam
