What a wonderful story this past week about the installation of the newest and youngest bishop in Canada. Vincent Nguyen was a teenager when he fled Vietnam, in part because of the persecution of Christians in that country. He was truly a boat person, escaping in a small boat with other family members. His dream as a child was to be a priest, and not only did he realize that dream, he is now an auxiliary bishop for Scarborough and the Durham region in which many of us live.
He is the first Roman Catholic bishop in Canada of Asian background and at age forty three the youngest ever in our country. According to the reports about last Wednesday's installation, more than a thousand people gathered to celebrate this landmark event. For Nguyen the most significant attendees were members of his family who came from Viet Nam, including six of his siblings.
Aren't you glad to see the legacy of our welcome of the so-called Boat People in the 1980's? So many Canadians were hospitable, including many church groups. United Church congregations were among the sponsors during that period, including St. Paul's.
This IS a great story, especially considering the rise in hostility to the immigration process since the turn of the century.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely heartwarming.
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