Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris
C.Ss.R.

LES  GABRIELS  CONNECTION

Letter from Bo Loc to the Benefactors of Mai Thon  
(in PDF format)
Letter from Bo Loc to Former Seminarians Worldwide  
(in PDF Format)
Mai Thon Architecture Drawings from Bo Loc

Mai Thon Seminary Fund
September 1, 2007 to August 31, 2008

GOAL REACHED

Shortly after April 1975, the new government of Vietnam confiscated An-Phong Hoc-Vien, a Catholic seminary in Thu Duc, and incarcerated Father Loc (Bo Loc), who was the Principal at the Seminary at that time; and also disbanded the school and all of its related personnel and activities.  All priests and seminarians were forced back to their residences to continue their faith journey privately.  While the old seminary was converted to a public hospital, there were no compensation given by the government to rebuild any of such facilities anywhere else.

After being released from the re-education camp, Bo Loc was given a modest parcel of land at Mai Thon, a small village 30 miles outside of Saigon, to rebuild the Seminary.  This lot of land is near Saigon River and is flooded frequently during the annual monsoon season.  It is deemed worthless by the government and was given to Bo Loc; perhaps as a mean of compensation for the confiscation of An-Phong Hoc-Vien; or perhaps as a way to quiet down any human rights protests for the convenience of the joining of Vietnam to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

For whatever reasons, Mai Thon is now the new home, a new seminary, of Dong Chua Cuu The (CSsR Order) of Vietnam.  This is the new home of more than 260 students, seminarians and priests.  Though very modest, this new beginning represents the new hope for charity services for the people of Vietnam.  Already there are gathering of the faithfuls to support the reconstruction efforts as well as to expand CSsR charitable works.  Currently some of the charitable works include:

• Pro-Life Campaign - Vietnam suffers one of the highest abortion rates in the world.  The lack of education and the cultural pressures cause young girls and women to abort their babies at an alarming rate. The problem is not being acknowledged by the government, as it relies on charity organizations to do its work. Under the guidance of Bo Loc, CSsR priests and seminarians scout local hospitals of nearby Saigon delivering pro-life messages and given alternative methods to the killing of innocent unborn. In many cases, pregnant women are given a choice to stay in a communal resident at Mai Thon during their pregnancies. Such refuge is needed to shelter these women and young girls from the stigma of unwanted pregnancies compounded by Vietnamese cultural and social pressures, as well as to offer them faith, hope and love during this critical time of theirs and the lives of their unborn babies.  Basic healthcare and other necessities are given by trained personnel and other residents of Mai Thon.  During such stay, these residents are expected to perform minor farming and help out with general upkeep of the residence.  After the birth of the child, the mother may decide to keep her newborn or give the baby up for adoption.  The encouraging result thus far is that many mothers had decided to keep and raise their babies in loving Catholic ways. Click here to view slides of Mai Thon.  To view a short movie from Bo Loc, click here.
   

• Orphanages - For those women that decided to give up their babies for adoption due to family economics, social acceptance, personal health or whatever the reasons; Bo Loc and the folks at Mai Thon facilitate the care and delivery of these children into orphanages mostly ran by Catholic Nuns.  They farm the land, raise live stocks and build fish farms for a living; all the while providing care and feeding of these babies in hope of future adoption.  Some of the healthier and more attractive babies get quickly adopted by domestic and foreign families; many less fortunate children due to deformities or sickness stay much longer.  Some stay at these orphanages for life.  Bo Loc and the folks of Mai Thon help these orphanages, the nuns that run them and their permanent residents with financial and spiritual assistance.
   

• Leprosy Campaign - As a developing nation, Vietnam still has not yet ridden of leprosy, a physically deformed disease that spreads by a bacteria.  Most poor people contracted the disease by simply living in poor sanitary conditions.  The bacteria spreads through physical contact, therefore many members of the same family might end up carry the disease.  The Vietnamese government setup remotely located camps for victims of leprosy.  These camps are rarely visited by people from the outside world.  Bo Loc and his folks from Mai Thon make annual vigil to visit the people living at these camps. On these visits, Bo Loc celebrates Mass, brings gifts, and most importantly spends time with them giving them hope and encouraging them to keep the faith. These visits also serve as educational trips for young seminarians teaching them to live humbly and to serve God's people of all kinds.

For these efforts and to continue God's work, a fund called "Mai Thon Seminary Fund" is being setup to provide financial assistance to the CSsR Order at Mai Thon.  A non-profit charitable organization for Mai Thon temporarily located online at www.maithon.org, which will be launched in September 2007.  We are applying for 501c3 status, which would enable us to receive tax-exempt donations.  Our goal is to raise US$ 10,000 this year to help support the above mentioned efforts as well as to advance the building of a new faith community at Mai Thon Seminary.  US$ 10,000 currently constitutes 20% of the overall annual operational budget of Mai Thon Seminary and its related works.

Thus far we have received significant responses in the form of financial pledges from our benefactors within our circles of friends, families and associates.  We ask you for your help.  Please help us help the priests and seminarians at Mai Thon doing God's work. May God bless you and bring you health; may the Holy Spirit be with you and give you peace; and may your Giving return to you many folds on earth as in Heaven.

Below is the list of our current benefactors; please join us by making a pledge by sending email to vui.le@lesgabriels.com; or make your check or money order payable to Mai Thon Seminary Fund and mail it to:

       Mai Thon Seminary Fund
       10700 Louetta Road, Suite 126
       Houston, TX  77070
       Attention:  Vui Le
       Phone: (281) 517-6604

Please give us your mailing address that we may send you a special gift from Bo Loc and the folks at Mai Thon Seminary.  Thank you in advance for your donation.

*On a quarterly basis or per request, we will collect on these pledges and send the contribution to the Controller at Mai Thon