Vietnamese Church highlights vocation growth, calls for renewed missionary formation

By Fr Mark Robin Destura, RCJ

At the beginning of the year, the Vietnamese Catholic Church ordained 76 transitional deacons, who are expected to be ordained as priests in the coming year.

The newly ordained deacons come from several dioceses among the country’s 27 dioceses and from its 83 male religious congregations. Their ordination reflects the continued vitality of priestly and religious vocations in the country.

In the United States, Church records also indicate that around 12 percent of seminarians are of Vietnamese origin, with approximately 400 to 500 Vietnamese priests currently serving in various states.

A “vocation basket” Church

The Church in Vietnam is often described as a “vocation basket,” producing numerous vocations each year for both diocesan and religious life.

Current figures indicate that the country has about 6,000 priests and nearly 31,000 religious men and women serving an estimated seven million Catholics. While these numbers are widely seen as impressive, Church leaders also recognize that they present significant pastoral and missionary challenges.

Abundant vocations, observers note, must be matched with strong missionary formation and equitable pastoral deployment.

Uneven pastoral distribution

Writing for UCA News, Catholic commentator Petrus Do reflected on the challenge of “how to transform an abundance of clergy into true missionaries rather than mere parish priests.”

He pointed to the uneven distribution of clergy, particularly between urban and rural areas.

“In Vietnam's urban centers, it is common to find two or three priests serving a single parish Church,” he wrote. In these “safe zones,” priestly life often centers on administration, liturgical services, major celebrations, and construction projects.

By contrast, in the Central Highlands and northwestern regions, many ethnic minority communities wait months for a single Mass. Priests often travel hundreds of kilometers through rugged terrain to reach simple thatched-roof chapels.

Renewing priestly formation

Petrus Do also emphasized the need for urgent reform in priestly formation.

While philosophical and theological studies normally last about ten years, he said, these must be complemented by sustained formation with “a missionary heart,” capable of serving on the peripheries.

This vision echoes the teaching of Pope Francis, who frequently calls priests to have the “smell of the sheep,” rooted in closeness to the people.

Such formation, he noted, should go beyond intellectual training and focus on missionary spirituality, inculturation, and interreligious dialogue. Future priests are called to become “missionaries of hope” by learning local languages, engaging in social action, and sharing in the struggles of the communities they serve.

Through this approach, clergy can better understand the pain, aspirations, and daily realities of the faithful entrusted to them.

Pastoral plan for missionary renewal

In response to these challenges, the Vietnamese bishops have designated 2026 as the Year of “Every Christian as a Missionary Disciple.”

This initiative forms part of a three-year pastoral plan centered on missionary renewal:

• 2025–2026: Every Christian is a missionary disciple
• 2026–2027: Every Christian community is a missionary community
• 2027–2028: The Church of Christ in Vietnam goes forth

The program aims to place missionary spirit at the heart of priestly and ecclesial life, encouraging both clergy and laity to take active responsibility for evangelization.

With many Vietnamese priests now serving in neighboring Asian countries and in distant parts of the world, Church leaders stress that vocations are a gift to be shared, not merely preserved.

The year seeks to foster a deep process of missionary conversion, enabling abundant vocations to become a catalyst for renewal across the entire Church.