Passionist Missionary Vietnam

Mission Appeal:

Twenty years ago, three anxious foreign Passionist missionaries from Australia, Argentina, and India, stepped foot in Vietnam. Among them was Fr. Jeff Foale CP, who, now in his early nineties, is the only one still remaining in Vietnam. Together, these missionaries set out to build up the local church and be messengers of the Word of the Cross to the world. Given the communist oppression of the Church, our mission was met with great uncertainty and trepidation.

Over these two decades, our work has borne much fruit. Today, the Vietnamese Passionist community has grown to include 21 native Vietnamese priests, with 34 eager young men currently in seminary training. These young men, filled with idealism and holy energy, are already engaged in missionary work, serving the poorest and most remote areas of Vietnam and even abroad.

Our mission has always been to reach out to those on the margins. As Vietnam progresses economically, the gap between the rich and the poor widens, leaving many behind. We continue to meet those suffering in silence, and our Passionist priests remain committed to serving them with joy and dedication. However, the need for support is ever-present.

We now face the challenge of setting up more communities on these far margins. Establishing a presence in these remote areas, no matter how modest, requires significant investment. For example, last year we built a simple house on a small block for $40,000 in a village 23 hours from Saigon. Two more villages are waiting for us to establish a centre of peace and love in their midst.