A Visit of Former Servant General Father Peter to our Postulant House

After finishing his presentation in the Annual Meeting of Major Seminary in Vietnam from 1 to 6 July 2019 at Dalat Pastoral Center and visiting the Sacred Heart House and Saint Joseph Hosue, on July 9th, 2019, father Peter Lester Lechner, sP. made a visit to our postulant house. Father Peter who has experienced 50 years as a priest in sP. Congregation is the first person as a pioneer that brings our sP. Congregation to Asia.

Our meeting is begun with the Holy Mass which celebrated by Father Peter and Fr. JB Hoan, sP., Director of Postulant and vocation in Vietnam, concelebrated.  Inspiring from the Scripture and our memorial to 119C Chinese Martyrs in that day, in his homily, father Peter talked about martyrdom inside ourselves, in our mind and our heart when we have to fight against devils. We can only stand firm by relying on God’s strength. Therefore, father Peter reminded that the most important is our own personal relationship with Jesus that was we have victory. He also expressed his happiness because of our presence in this place, as well as 6 brothers preparing to become novices.

The remarkable of this meeting is our personal meeting with him. He spent a lot of his time to listen to our desires, our sharing, and our concerns that each one of us has to face. Besides, he also shared his life experiences and his suggestions to all us. In a short talk after lunch, he also impressed in us a principle from our Founder – father Gerald to us his children a life of being a servant that is built on a principle of the three sunshines:  The first sunshine was the sunshine of nature, available in the pure mountain air and the natural beauty of creation. The second sunshine was the “sunshine of Fraternal charity”. This referred to our integration of guest priests into the life of Servants of the Paraclete as one big family. We didn’t live separately from our guest priests but:  worked with them, prayed with them, lived in the same buildings with them, and so on. The third, and most important, sunshine was the personal relationship of the priest to Jesus. Father Gerald believed that the essence of the spiritual rehabilitation of a priest was in devotion to the Eucharist.

The words that he promised to pray for us are unceasingly on his lips. We always hope that father will remember us as a family like the lyrics sung: “Welcome to the family, we’re glad what you have come to share your life with us. As we grow in love and may we always be to you what God would have us be a family always there to be strong and to lean on.”

Here are some photos taken: