Happy New Year! Our seminary community welcomed back Father Phi Nguyen (Class of 2006, Chicago) to celebrate Mass and the Asian Lunar New Year, a very important celebration in many countries.
For our seminarians, this is an opportunity to be intentional about building fraternity, to praise God for a fresh start, and to pray for family and friends. Before Mass, everyone was reminded to take a moment to remember their parents, families, friends, benefactors, and beloved ones who have passed, as our seminarian Asian Choir sang “Cau Cho Cha Me (Prayer for Parents).” Throughout the Mass a variety of languages – Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and English – were featured in readings, hymns, and petitions.
Our rector, Father John Kartje, blessed a basket of Bible verses that will serve as inspiration in the coming year, a Christian version of the traditional ritual that features quotes from Confucius.
The celebration and fellowship continued in the evening, with a big table of festive foods that are only made for the Lunar New Year, traditional games, performances, and more.
View photos and listen to Father Phi Ngyuyen’s homily below.
Special thanks to St. Henry Parish in Chicago and Our Lady of La Vang Parish in San Jose for their support of this celebration.
