Vietnamese Chaplains from across Australia came together in Sydney recently to discuss their ministry and to consider how Vietnamese Catholic communities can contribute their experience of faith life in Australia to the 2020 Plenary Council.

Fr Joseph Vu SVD, who is Chaplain to the Vietnamese community in Brisbane Archdiocese, says the chaplains gather every year to share with one another their activities, to listen and learn from each other, and to plan for the future.

A new book on Sydney’s Slovak Catholic community tells not only the history of the community and their road towards acquiring their own church, but also stands as an encouragement for future generations, its author says.

The book, entitled ‘Memory of the faithful and believers’ also outlines the long and warm relationship between the Slovak community and the Divine Word Missionaries who have served as chaplains over several decades.

Brisbane’s Vietnamese Catholic community came together at St Mark’s Inala last weekend to observe the feast day of the Vietnamese Martyrs and to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnamese Catholic community in Brisbane.

Their chaplain, Fr Joseph Vu SVD, says the celebration was an opportunity to look back and give thanks for the flourishing of this faith community which began in 1976 with the arrival of boat people who were fleeing their war-torn homeland.