The Call of God in My Soul
I was born to devout Catholic parents in Binh Son parish, Ninh Binh province, in the Diocese of Phat Diem – Northern Vietnam.
In 1954, when I was 8 years old, my parents brought me and my siblings to South Vietnam and settled in Gia Kiem, Long Khanh province.
When I was 12 years old, I had the desire to become a nun. I asked the assistant pastor from Gia Yen’s parish to help me join a religious order. The priest contacted the vocational director of the Lovers of the Holy Cross. However, on the day of the appointment, I changed my mind and did not come.
When I was 15 years old, the Lord called me again and I could not deny the strong call that rang in my mind. I contacted the priest who helped me when I was 12 years old; he is currently a parish priest in Saigon. This priest contacted Father Bernard Maria Bui Khai Hoan, Founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen at Bui Mon, of the Archdiocese of Saigon. After receiving Father Bernard’s consent, the priest called me to Saigon, so he could take me to Bui Mon. I went to Bui Mon for the first time to meet Father Bernard Maria to acquire permission to join the convent. He happily accepted me and introduced me to the aspirant director. The aspirant director would inform me of the conditions I must meet if I chose to come back and stay.
I returned to my family and did not ask for my father’s permission for fear of opposition. Instead, I asked my mother because I knew she would say yes. During a week when my father was away for work, I left my family to go to Bui Mon. At Bui Mon I was instructed to dedicate myself to Mary, who would lead me to Jesus, especially in living out the “Spirituality of Evangelical Childhood.” I dedicated myself and spent 59 years in the congregation. The blessings of my vocation are due to the grace of God. Bless, praise, and thank the Lord unceasingly.
