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 on Oct 1 st , 2023 and will remain until July 31 st , 2029.

Message from Fr. Vinh Michael Nguyen

April 28, 2024

I am the vine; you are the branches. 

In the Gospel of the 5th Sunday of Easter, Jesus uses the image of the vine and its branches to express unity in supernatural life between God and Christians. He compares it to a vine, God the Father is the vinedresser and Christians are the vine branches. The vine is made up of several branches fused to form a vine trellis. Any branch which is not attached to the vine will die because it cannot absorb the sap of life. When we say that Jesus is the vine and believers are the branches, in reality, there is green branches full of life, and there are withered and dry branches. Those who are not attached to God are like dry branches that only serve as firewood. Meanwhile, believers are bound like a vine branches attached to the stem, always happy and peaceful in their daily life. Their “attachment” to Christ speaks for himself in his invitation “remain in me.” What remains is union, communion, love, sharing, sympathy and fidelity of believers to Jesus. And he continued like this, when men abide in him, they also abide in God the Father, and they are united with God the Father to share and participate in the supernatural life as well as in the perfect happiness of God the Father. May we, as Christians, respond to Jesus' response. invitation to unite ourselves to his body by “remaining” in his commandment of love; faithfully keeping his teachings. Because, thanks to this connection and observance, we continue the supernatural life, like the sacred sap that flows from the vine to each branch, making our lives fruitful. 

Lord Jesus, please help us to always remain close and united with you for the rest of our lives so that that we can bear many good flowers and good fruits according to your desires.

Amen.

Pope's global prayer for May 2024

For the formation of religious and seminarians

By Vatican News