Thaùnh leã an taùng

Ñöùc coá Giaùm muïc Dominic Mai Thanh Löông

Thaùnh leã an taùng Ñöùc coá Giaùm muïc Dominic Mai Thanh Löông.

California (VietCatholic News 15-12-2017) - Ñöùc cha Kevin Vann, giaùm muïc giaùo phaän Orange ñaõ chuû söï thaùnh leã an taùng Ñöùc Cha Dominic Mai Thanh Löông vaøo luùc 10:00g saùng ngaøy 14 thaùng 12 naêm 2017 taïi Holy Family Cathedral cuûa giaùo phaän. Cuøng vôùi ngaøi coù caùc Ñöùc Toång Giaùm Muïc Los Angeles, New Orleans, caùc Ñöùc cha phuï taù, vaø 3 Ñöùc Cha töø Vieät Nam laø Ñöùc Cha Loârensoâ Chu Vaên Minh, Ñöùc Cha Toâma Vuõ Ñình Hieäu vaø Ñöùc Cha Giuse Traàn Vaên Toaûn cuøng vôùi treân 200 linh muïc Vieät Myõ ñoàng teá. Coù nhieàu nam nöõ tu só vaø giaùo daân hieäp daâng thaùnh leã caàu cho ñöùc coá giaùm muïc Dominicoâ.

Tröôùc thaùnh leã Ñöùc cha Vann chaøo möøng toøan theå caùc giaùm muïc, linh muïc tu só vaø coäng ñoàng daân Chuùa, vaø tieáp ñeán giôùi thieäu Cha Traàn vaên Kieåm, giaùm ñoác Trung taâm Coâng Giaùo Vieät Nam ñoïc ñieän vaên cuûa Ñöùc Thaùnh Cha Phanxicoâ nhö sau:

The Holy Father was saddened to learn of the death of the Most Reverend Dominic Dinh Mai Luong, and he sends heartfelt condolences to you, the late Bishop's family, and the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese. With gratitude for Bishop Luong's dedicated ministry, and his particular solicitude for the Vietnamese community throughout the United States, His Holiness joins you in commending his soul to the merciful love of God our Father. To all who mourn Bishop Luong's passing, Pope Francis cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and consolation in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Signed by

Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Secretary of State

Ñöôïc tin Ñöùc Cha Ñaminh Mai Thanh Löông qua ñôøi, Ñöùc Thaùnh Cha voâ cuøng thöông tieác vaø chaân thaønh göûi lôøi phaân öu ñeán quyù oâng baø vaø anh chò em: tang quyeán cuûa Ñöùc Cha Ñaminh, caùc giaùm muïc, linh muïc, tu só nam nöõ vaø toaøn theå giaùo höõu trong giaùo phaän. Trong nieàm tri aân tinh thaàn phuïc vuï taän tuïy cuûa Ñöùc Cha Ñaminh, ñaëc bieät laø ngaøi ñaõ öu aùi quan taâm ñeán coäng ñoàng Vieät Nam treân khaép nöôùc Myõ, Ñöùc Thaùnh Cha xin ñöôïc cuøng quyù oâng baø vaø anh chò em phoù daâng linh hoàn Ñöùc Cha Ña Minh cho Thieân Chuùa Cha chuùng ta ñaày loøng xoùt thöông nhaân aùi. Vaø cho taát caû nhöõng ai ñang thöông khoùc söï ra ñi cuûa Ñöùc Cha Ñaminh, Ñöùc Giaùo Hoaøng Phanxicoâ öu aùi ban Pheùp Laønh Toøa Thaùnh nhö baûo chöùng cuûa bình an vaø ôn an uûi trong Chuùa Gieâsu Kitoâ Chuùa chuùng ta.

Kyù teân

Ñöùc Hoàng Y Pietro Parolin

Quoác Vuï Khanh cuûa Toøa Thaùnh

Baøi giaûng thaùnh leã an taùn gdo Linh Muïc Kerry Beanlieu:

Homily for Bishop Dominic

Today we come together to pray for Bishop Dominic Mai Luong. We come with profound respect for this humble and loving bishop, priest, uncle, spiritual father, friend and brother in the Lord who has given his whole life to God. Today is a day of thanksgiving to God for the life and ministry God gave to Bishop Dominic and for the faithful and generous life he lived among us.

The words of Bishop Dominic's Episcopal Motto "You are strangers or aliens no longer." describe well both the mission and the impact of Bishop Dominic's life and ministry as he spent his lifetime as a 'bridge builder' between the Church in Vietnam and the Church in the United States, between the Vietnamese culture and the American culture, between two peoples who knew very little about each other but who were destined to become neighbors and friends, even brothers and sisters in the household of faith.

Bishop Dominic's own life bridged both Churches: one the Church of his birth and childhood in Vietnam, the other the Church of his adult life in the United States. He brought the two together in a ministry that he could never have foreseen. But today as we look back at Bishop Dominic's full lifetime, it seems perfectly clear that God was preparing him for a unique ministry in the Catholic Church of this country as the first Vietnamese Bishop in the United States.

I had the privilege to live in the same rectory with Bishop Dominic for six years when he lived at Our Lady Queen of Angels. He was a great support to me personally during the building of our church and I grew very fond of him.

He was always kind and considerate, interested in parish life, always willing to help, humble and caring for people. He was generous to a fault. He had a calmness and serenity about him that people noticed and appreciated. In the midst of a noisy celebration he seemed to be centered and relaxed.

Sometimes he was homesick for his former parish, Mary Queen of Vietnam, that he founded in New Orleans and served as pastor for 20 years, and he was always homesick for the food New Orleans is famous for. He was visiting in New Orleans the weekend Hurricane Katrina arrived and was on the last plane to leave New Orleans Airport before the hurricane closed the airport down.

He was very generous with the Church in Vietnam which he loved so much. In his home village of Ninh Cuong he recently was able after many years of work to establish a Pilgrimage Center where his family's home had once been and where many years earlier a bishop had been ordained in the barn on the property who later became a martyr and canonized saint.

In his last months with us he was able to see the beginning of the Shrine to Our Lady of La Vang at Christ Cathedral, a project he worked on with a group of Vietnamese business men with whom he met regularly.

Bishop Dominic was popular in our house because he loved to celebrate the early Mass during the week and the first Mass on Sunday. He made good friends in the parish and just last May he joined us for a birthday brunch for one of the parishioners. On Wednesdays after the 6:30 Mass he would join a group from the Mass and they would go out for coffee and breakfast and they solved all the Church's problems. The name Bishop Dominic gave the group was Vatican III# He was always looking ahead! They loved him dearly and met with him as recently as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

To those who got to know him he became a friend and a fellow pilgrim. He was always a source of encouragement and support for new initiatives. Always raising funds for new initiatives.

Bishop Dominic was always a priest and this past Spring celebrated 51 years of ordination and fourteen years as a Bishop. As the first Vietnamese bishop to serve the Church in the United States he belonged not only to us here in the Diocese of Orange but to Vietnamese Catholics all across the country.

On Mondays he would appear in the rectory kitchen after having been to Texas or Kansas over the weekend to visit a Vietnamese Catholic community or to help dedicate a new church. He was a tireless sign of encouragement to newcomers adjusting to a new country and finding their place in the church. Beginning with his work for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as Director of Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees, then continuing in New Orleans and finally here in Orange he helped to re-settle thousands of people from Vietnam in new lives here in the US.

Bishop McFarland called his appointment as bishop a "happening of major historical significance" because Bishop Dominic's appointment as bishop was a dramatic recognition of the tremendous positive impact Vietnamese Catholics have had on the Church in the United States in a relatively short period of time. At the time of his appointment as bishop in 2003 there were 400,000 Vietnamese Catholics in the US, some 600 priests and 500 religious.

Bishop Brown, our retired Diocesan bishop, deserves credit for recognizing the impact of Vietnamese Catholics on the Church in Orange, seeing the benefit a Vietnamese Auxiliary bishop would bring and then petitioning the Holy Father for just such an appointment.

Bishop Vann will be affirming the importance of Bishop Dominic's work and the tremendous contribution the Vietnamese community makes to the Church in Orange next week when Bishop-elect Thomas Thai will be ordained the second Vietnamese-American bishop to serve in the Diocese of Orange.

Bishop Dominic was the right person at the right time and in the right place

Bishop Dominic lived out in his ministry before and after he became a bishop the episcopal motto he took from the letter to the Ephesians 2:19-22:

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

There are no strangers and aliens in the household of God-rather we are called to 'truly welcome the stranger among us' (Mat 25:35) and to "become fellow citizens with the holy ones #built into a dwelling place of God in the spirit" (Ephesians 2:19f).

That is exactly the vision Bishop Dominic spent his life working for: a household of God where there are no strangers and aliens but only fellow citizens... built into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

As the Bishops' document "Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope" declares: "In effect, the Church is increasingly called to be as Lumen Gentium declares, a "sign and instrument of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race." In the church no one is a stranger, and the Church is not foreign to anyone, anywhere."

While we may or may not be able to change human hearts or the laws or the politics as much or as quickly as we would like- to embrace the stranger, the immigrant or the vulnerable - at least in the household of God- there ought to be no strangers, no aliens, no one disposable or unworthy of human respect and dignity. For we have a different perspective: the intrinsic dignity and eternal destiny of every human being.

The prophet Habakkuk tells us: "The vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint..." (Habakkuk 2:3)

My favorite story about Bishop Dominic is one that he told me himself. As many of you know Bishop Dominic left Vietnam at the age of 16 to continue his studies for the priesthood in the United States. He had returned once in 1969 after his ordination.

It was now 1975 and the conditions in Saigon were worsening. Bishop Dominic, then Father Dominic, flew to Saigon from the U.S. to visit his family in Vietnam to see how they were doing and to see if he could help them.

But his plane was turned away and not allowed to land because the evacuation from Saigon was underway.

The plane was diverted to the island of Guam where refugees from Vietnam were being taken. At this time Bishop Dominic had no idea what was happening to his family back in Saigon. Of course, he was worried. He had begun to hear reports that the city was being overrun by the enemy. What would become of his family?

Once he landed at Guam, then Fr. Dominic was invited to concelebrate Mass by a bishop who was celebrating Mass for the refugees in the camp.

At some point during Mass the clouds moved and the sunlight fell on a section of the congregation. One face in the crowd drew Bishop Dominic's attention and he instantly knew who it was. He recognized his mother in the crowd. He quickly excused himself to the presiding bishop. He said, "I think I see my mother. I have to go" and he rushed into the crowd to embrace his mother. The Mass stopped while mother and son embraced.

That unexpected reunion with his mother was one of the most joyful moments in his life.

St. Paul tells us "our Citizenship is in heaven." In the household of God we recognize each other's faces not as those of strangers and aliens but as the faces of mother and father, sister and brother - built together into a dwelling place of God.

Jesus says "I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am you also may be."

Isaiah says: "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples... The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces. And it will be said: Behold Our God to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"

After welcoming so many people to this land may Bishop Dominic be welcomed by the saints and angels of God and arrive safely in that place the Savior has prepared for him where there will be no strangers, no aliens but only the family of God's sons and daughters, in the household of God.

Eternal life grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Lôøi chia seû sau Thaùnh leã cuûa Ñöùc oâng Phaïm Vaên Tuaán:

Bishop Domonic Luong

Of this very unassuming man, it would not be uncommon to hear someone say, "Oh, I didn't know there was a Vietnamese bishop". But to those of us who knew him, this quiet and gentle soul impacted our lives in a way that made us think that somehow, we had come into the presence of the Lord.

What comes to mind is the Christ's own invitation in Mt 11:29, "Come to me#for I am meek and humble of heart". People were drawn to him, precisely because of his unassuming nature. And they came to love him.

Though of Vietnamese birth, he was not previously known by those he came to serve in California, but quickly after arriving, became a great supporter of the growing Vietnamese community in the Diocese of Orange. His episcopal motto, taken from St Paul to the Ephesians (2:19),

You Are Strangers And Aliens No Longer,

itself was a testimony to Dominic's own conviction that the Vietnamese Catholic community, having wandered and suffered for so many years in the desert of persecution, was welcome in the church of the United States. That community, offering the riches of its own spiritual heritage to the American church -- in particular, to the Diocese of Orange -- was integrated according to the model established by Bishop Brown, and came to be accepted, valued and loved in such a way, that it now felt secure in its new home and in the "household of God".

The English speaking and Spanish speaking communities, also, eventually came to be touched by the kindness of Dominic's outreach to all, and for them, this translated into their perception of the Christ-like holiness of the soul of this unassuming priest.

He always had a moment to stop and chat and offer a word of encouragement to anyone and everyone, and today, as we bid farewell to God's humble servant, we offer a loving word back to him:

Well done, good and faithful servant.

Enter into the joy of the Master.

Pray to God for us, Bishop Dominic,

from your lofty place in Heaven!

Ñöùc Cha Löông... moät caùi teân quen thuoäc ñoái vôùi ngöôøi Vieät Coâng Giaùo Haûi Ngoïai bôûi vì Ngaøi laø vò Giaùm Muïc Vieät Nam ñaàu tieân ôû Haûi Ngoïai. Coù nhieàu ngöôøi thaéc maéc... khoâng hieåu sao bieát bao nhieâu ngöôøi Coâng Giaùo maø sao laïi choïn moät ngöôøi Löông ñeå laøm Giaùm Muïc Coâng Giaùo.

Ñöùc Cha Löông thaân yeâu cuûa Giaùo Phaän Orange hoâm nay ñaõ ra ñi trôû veà vôùi Chuùa, sau moät cuoäc haønh trình khaù daøi vôùi tuoåi ñôøi laø 80.

Ngaøi ñi khoâng ñeå laïi di chuùc baèng vaên töï... nhöng caû cuoäc soáng cuûa Ngaøi chính laø moät di chuùc quùy giaù.

Nhieàu ngöôøi trong chuùng ta ñaây ñaõ coù dòp tieáp xuùc vôùi Ngaøi, ñeàu nhaän thaáy raèng Ngaøi raát giaûn dò, vaø bình daân. Bình daân hôn khi ngaøi noùi tieáng anh coù pha moät chuùt goác buøi chu thì thaät laø khoâi haøi.

Söï giaûn dò vaø bình daân cuûa Ngaøi ñeán ñoä nhieàu ngöôøi cho raèng Ngaøi ñaõ queân mình laø moät vò Giaùm Muïc. Ngaøi thöôøng aên maëc cuõng raát giaûn dò, moät quaàn kaki cuõ, moät chieác aùo aám loâi thoâi # coù nhöõng luùc luoäm thuoäm, queân coå traéng, queân muõ Giaùm Muïc, chæ coù Thaùnh gía treo vaøo tuùi.

Ngaøi aên noùi raát khieâm nhöôøng, hoøa nhaõ... khoâng bao giôø xöng laø cha vôùi ai.. Ngaøi thöôøng xöng laø "mình" moät ngoân ngöõ "raát baéc kyø" nhöng raát gaàn guõi, quen thuoäc vôùi moïi ngöôøi.

Ñöùc Cha Löông raát thöông ngöôøi, nhaát laø nhöõng ngöôøi keùm may maén, voâ gia cö. Khi coøn laøm giaùm ñoác ôû Trung Taâm Coâng Giaùo, Ngaøi thöôøng mua thöùc aên saùng ôû McDonald cho homeless, nhöõng ngöôøi voâ gia cö. Ngaøi cuõng khoâng bao giôø töø choái tham gia phaân phaùt quaàn aùo, taëng quøa cho ngöôøi ngheøo trong khu vöïc Civic Center hay treân Los Angeles.

Cuoäc soáng ñaày baùc aùi, yeâu thöông ñoù phaùt xuaát töø ñôøi soáng thieâng lieâng, ñaïo ñöùc cuûa Ñöùc Cha.

Ngaøi ñaëc bieät toân suøng Thaùnh Theå... vaø Ngaøi cuõng muoán moïi ngöôøi yeâu meán Thaùnh Theå neân ñaõ daày coâng, soïan boä saùch chaàu Thaùnh Theå - maø hieän nay nhieàu giaùo daân trong nhieàu coäng ñoøan coøn ñang xöû duïng...

Theo göông thaùnh Quan thaày Ñaminh, Ngaøi raát yeâu meán Ñöùc Meï... moãi laàn vaøo phoøng caáp cöùu, Ngaøi luoân nhaéc mang traøng haït cho Ngaøi... Baøi haùt sau cuøng maø Ñöùc Cha haùt tröôùc khi giaõ töø coõi theá laø baøi haùt "Meï ôi, con yeâu Meï, yeâu töø thôøi thô beù, yeâu maõi ñeán tuoåi giaø, yeâu tha thieát bao la." Ngaøi ñaõ truùt hôi thôû vôùi caâu keát cuûa baøi haùt "cheát trong tình yeâu Meï."

Thaøy Saùu Bình, con tinh thaàn cuûa Ñöùc Cha, luoân saùt caùnh beân Ngaøi keå laïi moät kyû nieäm khoù queân - khi veà thaêm queâ quaùn taïi Ninh Cöôøng... Ngaøi cuøng vôùi quùy cha goác Buøi Chu, chuaån bò daâng Leã taïi Nghóa Trang gaàn ñoù... maây keùo ñeán caû baàu trôøi, côn möa nhö ñang chuaån bò ñoå xuoáng.

Ñöùc Cha vaãn cöông quyeát caàu nguyeän cuøng Ñöùc Meï vaø tieáp tuïc daâng Leã... trong suoát Thanh Leã khoâng moät haït möa rôi xuoáng... ngay khi Thaùnh Leã keát thuùc, möa ñoå xuoáng nhu thaùc luõ.

Söï ra ñi cuûa Ñöùc Cha Ñaminh Mai Thanh Löông laø moät phaàn thöôûng maø Chuùa daønh cho "ngöôøi ñaày tôù trung tín" cuûa Chuùa trong 50 Naêm Linh Muïc vaø 14 Naêm Giaùm Muïc.

Di chuùc cuûa Ñöùc Cha khoâng gì khaùc hôn laø chính ñôøi soáng göông maãu cuûa Ngaøi. Di Chuùc ñoù ñöôïc ghi khaéc trong Khaåu hieäu Giaùm Muïc cuûa Ngaøi, "chuùng ta khoâng coøn laø keû xa laï" vôùi nhau, nhöng cuøng laø anh em trong moät nhaø. Vì theá, chuùng ta, nhöõng ngöôøi Coâng Giaùo Vieät Nam, haõy baét chöôùc Ngaøi, soáng giaûn dò, khieâm toán, vaø cö xöû töû teá vôùi nhau...

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