Church of Divine Mercy affiliates with Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer
The East Tennessee Catholic
The Diocese of Knoxville and the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, U.S. Assumption Province, have signed a written agreement for the province to assume spiritual and pastoral care of Divine Mercy Vietnamese Parish in Knoxville.
The Church of Divine Mercy will remain under diocesan administration and operations, according to the agreement that was signed on Dec. 20.
“The Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer has been a tremendous blessing ministering to our Vietnamese community at the Church of Divine Mercy,” Bishop Mark Beckman said. “The vibrant faith community at Divine Mercy continues to grow and enrich our diocesan family. I am grateful to the Congregation for taking on the pastoral care of this community as we go forward in the future.”
According to Bishop Beckman and the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, this significant transition marks a new chapter, assuring stability in the spiritual leadership and pastoral care of the Vietnamese community in the Diocese of Knoxville.
Father Nguyen, right, and Deacon Vinh lead a prayer during Mass at the West Knoxville church. (Photo Bill Brewer)
The Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, established in Bùi Chu, Vietnam, in 1953 and provincially based in Carthage, Mo., since 1975, is dedicated to serving the people of God through pastoral ministry, personal sanctification, evangelization of the unbaptized, and promotion of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer.
“The Congregation brings a rich tradition of Marian devotion and service to the faithful. Their charism and spiritual heritage will enhance the parish’s existing mission of spreading God’s mercy,” Bishop Beckman said.
The Church of Divine Mercy was established in 2012 and dedicated in 2013. The parish has been an integral part of the Knoxville area’s Catholic Vietnamese community, ministering to both local parishioners and visitors. The parish holds a special dedication to Divine Mercy and provides spiritual nourishment through liturgical celebrations and pastoral care.
It is a vital part of the growing Vietnamese Catholic community in East Tennessee. In Chattanooga, the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful also is seeing an increase in members, and the community is working toward becoming a more permanent part of the diocese.
Divine Mercy parishioners were told of the entrustment last month by the diocese and Divine Mercy pastor Father Dominic Nguyen, CRM.
Deacon Joseph Hieu Vinh, who serves at Divine Mercy, said the Vietnamese parish is “growing tremendously.”
He pointed out that the Saturday vigil Masses now have the same full attendance as the Sunday morning Masses, which is an important indicator that a parish is thriving.
Deacon Vinh said the entrustment of Divine Mercy to the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer is a positive move.
“This is a big way to go,” he said. “There are a lot of people of Vietnamese descent participating in the church. I see it growing tremendously.”
Affiliations are not unusual for the Diocese of Knoxville.
The diocese has an agreement with the Paulist Fathers religious order to lead the spiritual and pastoral care of Immaculate Conception Parish and St. John XXIII University Parish in Knoxville.
And the diocese has a similar agreement with the Glenmary Home Missioners to provide for the spiritual and pastoral care of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Erwin, St. John Paul Catholic Mission in Rutledge, and St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish in Maynardville.
The diocese has long worked with the Glenmary Home Missioners to build Catholic communities in rural areas of East Tennessee and subsequently open churches.
The Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, U.S. Assumption Province’s motherhouse is located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The U.S. Assumption Province maintains a monastery in Carthage, Mo., where it hosts an annual Marian Days pilgrimage, one of the largest annual Catholic festivals in the United States.
Before 1975, the Congregation was relatively small in Vietnam compared with the Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit, and Redemptorist institutes, among others. However, in the United States, virtually all Vietnamese Roman Catholics are familiar with the Congregation.
In 2008, the Congregation had 700 members worldwide, including 360 priests, 170 brothers, and 10 novices. In 2009, the U.S. province included 23 priests, 54 brothers, five novices, and seven postulants. In 2012, the Congregation had 500 seminarians in Ho Chi Minh City and sponsored 150 in the United States.
Priests of the Congregation serve parishes in several states.
