The Commission on the Laity of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam (CBCV) held a two-day formation program from May 29 to 30 for lay leaders and clergy from dioceses across the Hanoi Ecclesiastical Province.
The gathering, hosted at the Pastoral Center of Sa Pa Parish in the Diocese of Hưng Hóa, aimed to strengthen the role of the laity in the Church’s mission of evangelization.
With the theme “Proclaiming the Gospel Together,” the sessions were designed to deepen participants’ understanding of synodality and co-responsibility in Church life.
The event drew 150 delegates from 10 dioceses—comprising 30 priests and 120 lay representatives from Parish Pastoral Councils and Catholic associations. The Diocese of Bùi Chu was not represented.
Key officials from the national Commission on the Laity led the formation, including Bishop Joseph Trần Văn Toản of Long Xuyên, who chairs the commission; Fr. Antôn Hà Văn Minh, its secretary; and Fr. Thomas Vũ Ngọc Tín, SJ, vice-chair and head of formation.
Organizing the event on the local level was Fr. Joseph Nguyễn Văn Liên of the Archdiocese of Hanoi.
Structured around study, reflection, and prayer, the formation featured three main sessions. The first focused on the shared responsibility of clergy and laity in proclaiming the Gospel.
The second addressed the evolving role of Parish Pastoral Councils as not only administrative partners but also as catalysts for creative evangelization.
The third session explored the Church’s outward mission, encouraging lay faithful to bring the Gospel into everyday spaces—schools, workplaces, marketplaces, and digital platforms.
Each thematic session included small group discussions, where participants exchanged insights and shared experiences from their own communities.
The formation culminated in a Mass for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, celebrated by newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop Paul Nguyễn Quang Đĩnh of Hưng Hóa. Bishop Trần Văn Toản delivered the homily.
The program concluded on May 30 with an announcement of the next national gathering of the Commission on the Laity, scheduled for September 16 to 19 in the Diocese of Thái Bình.
