Pastor's Corner
Responding to the pastoral need, Most Rev. Claude Hamelin, Bishop of St. Jean – Longueuil, assigned Fr. Michael Nguyen Dinh VINH, CSSp, a Vietnamese and religious priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) as full time pastor of our parish.
He was born in 1973 in Vietnam. In 2008, He joined the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in Saigon, Vietnam. In August 3, 2013, he took his first religious vows and after that he moved to Manila, Philippines to study Theology. From September 3, 2013 to June 2016, he was sent to the UK for the Pastoral Mission Experience (PME). In July 2016 he returned to the Philippines to continue his study and in 2020, graduated in LST (Loyola School of Theology) of Ateneo de Manila University. In March 25, 2021 (Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord) He was priestly ordained by Most Rev. Ronald I. Lunasin, Bishop of Pagadian Diocese, the Southern Philippines. After his priestly ordination, he remained in the Philippines as a formator assistant of the Spiritan Formation House – Manila. He arrived in Montreal on August 18 2023 and on October 1st, 2023, he was assigned to be the pastor of Saint Francis Xavier Mission Church in Kahnawake.
His appointment is effective Oct 1, 2023 and will remain until July 31, 2029.
Message from Fr. Vinh Michael Nguyen
September 15, 2024
"But who do you say that I am?"
After taking a survey to verify who people thought he was, Jesus asked his disciples: “And you, who do you say that I am?” As usual, Peter quickly answered him: “Lord, you are the Christ.” With Peter’s confession, Jesus revealed to his diciples for the first time the path that he would face, which was the path of suffering, crucifixion and resurrection to redeem the sins of all people. He hinted to his disciples about this path to invite them, or those who wanted to follow him, to walk on this path.
Today, we are living in a civilized society, progressive in every aspect, but sadly, people's faith in God has decreased a lot. Many people no longer believe, no longer welcome God and Jesus into their lives. Of course, Jesus is not sad with them, does not question them, but he questions us with a familiar question: "And you, who do you say that I am?" If we still proclaim him as "Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages" (Credo), and still follow him and cling to his merciful and compassionate arms, he will still guide our lives, he will continue to invite us to walk on his way of the cross to reach glory with him.
So, each of us, as children of God, should profess our faith in Christ, the Son of the living God, and live the path that he wants us to follow, which is the path of the cross, but at the end of that path is happiness, the boundless meaning of life that awaits us. May each of us strive to make each other listen to the voice of Jesus in their minds, in their lives, and introduce the image of “Who is Jesus” to everywhere around us. May God bless us and give us more faith.
Amen.