Seminary

Address: Saint Joseph Seminary of Saigon
              6 Tôn Đức Thắng Street, Dist. 1, Saigon, Vietnam.
Phone:    +84 83 829 0109 - 8 3910 4818   
Fax:        +84 83 930 0598

The seminary building was built in 1863, then rebuilt in 1963. It reopened in 1986 to train seminarians from six southern dioceses.

Since 2006, it has recruited only students from Hồ Chí Minh City Archdiocese and two Dioceses of Mỹ Tho and Phú Cường. The seminary got government permission for annual recruitment in 2007. On March 19, 2012, the first stone laying ceremony of the seminary’s new block was celebrated.

I. BRIEF HISTORY OF FORMATION

1. Pre-seminary period

On September 9, 1659, Pope Alexandre VII issued the Apostolic Letter Super Cathedram establishing the first two missionary dioceses in Vietnam, and appointed two priests from the Paris Foreign Missions Society as the first Apostolic Vicars: the Diocese of Dang Trong governed by Bishop Lambert de la Motte; the Diocese of Dang Ngoai governed by Bishop François Pallu.

In the instruction “Monita ad Missionarios”, the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith instructed the two Apostolic Vicars Lambert de la Motte and François Pallu to pay attention to the training of the native clergy: “The main reason the Holy Congregation sent you to those countries as Bishops is so that you, by all possible means, would take charge of the education of young people, helping them to be capable of receiving the priesthood. You will ordain them and send them throughout those vast regions, each one collaborating in his own country; there they will serve the Christian religion with all their heart, thanks to your loving care.”

In the Diocese of Dang Trong, Bishop Lambert de la Motte and later Bishops sought to train native clergy under the direction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. However, due to the socio-political context and the prolonged persecution of the religion, the training of seminarians had to move here and there: Juthia – Thailand (1665), Chantaboun – Cambodia (1765), Hon Dat – Ha Tien (1765), Pondichéry – India (1769).

Since 1775, the training of seminarians has been mainly carried out in Vietnam, except for two times when they had to be sent abroad due to religious persecution: the first time the seminary had to move to Chantaboun and the second time the seminarians were sent to Penang. Thus, during this period, the seminary did not have a fixed residence: Cay Quao – Ha Tien (1775), Tan Trieu (1780), Mac Bac (1782), Chantaboun – Thai Lan (1783), Tan Trieu (1791), Lai Thieu (1799), Penang – Malaya (1807), Thi Nghe (1850), Cai Nhum (1850) and Xom Chieu (1862).

During this period, the seminary had three martyred priests, all under the reign of King Tu Duc: Saint Philip Phan Van Minh (1815-1853) studied at Lai Thieu seminary, later became the priest of Cai Nhum seminary, martyred in 1853 in Dinh Khao, Vinh Long; Saint Paul Le Van Loc (1830-1859) studied at Cai Nhum seminary, later became the director of Thi Nghe seminary, martyred in 1859 in Gia Dinh; Saint Peter Doan Cong Quy (1826-1859) studied at Thi Nghe Seminary and was martyred in 1859 in Chau Doc, An Giang.

2. Saint Joseph Major Seminary was established

On May 17, 1844, Pope Gregory XVI divided the Diocese of Dang Trong into two dioceses: the Diocese of East Dang Trong (Quy Nhon) governed by Bishop E.T. Cuénot The; the Diocese of West Dang Trong (Saigon) governed by Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre Ngai. In 1850, the Holy See divided the Diocese of West Dang Trong into two dioceses: the Diocese of West Dang Trong (Saigon) governed by Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre Ngai, and the Diocese of Nam Vang under the control of Bishop Jean-Claude Miche Mich.

After the persecutions subsided, Bishop Lefèbvre moved the seminary to the inner city of Saigon in 1862, and a year later, in 1863, to the land where the seminary is now located, ending the period of wandering. Bishop Lefèbvre entrusted the work of building the seminary and training seminarians to Father Théodore Louis Wibaux.

3. Founder: Father Théodore Louis Wibaux

Father Théodore Louis Wibaux was born on March 28, 1820, in the parish of Saint Martin in Roubaix, Northern France. In 1840, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest on June 6, 1846. On November 24, 1857, Father Wibaux joined the Parish Missionaries of Paris and was sent to Vietnam to evangelize. He arrived in Dang Trong in January 1860, and was appointed by Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre as Vicar General of the Diocese of Tay Dang Trong. He was also the founder and first superior of the Saint Joseph Seminary. He devoted all his heart to building the seminary and training seminarians.

On the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7, 1877, Father Wibaux passed away after 17 years of missionary work in Vietnam. His tomb is located behind the chapel of the Major Seminary. He left behind a noble example of sacrifice with an admirable material and spiritual legacy.

4. Some historical milestones related to the seminary

- In 1863, Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre celebrated the ceremony of laying the first stone to build the seminary, the training facility for priests of the Western Diocese of Dang Trong until today.

- In 1866, Bishop Miche Mich solemnly held the inauguration and opening ceremony with the official name "Saint Joseph Seminary".

- In 1867, Father Wibaux built the seminary chapel, and Bishop Miche solemnly blessed the new chapel in 1871.

- In 1932, Bishop Dumortier built a two-story building (also known as "Barracks").

- In 1933, the Minor Seminary was separated from the Major Seminary.

- On January 10, 1933, the Holy See appointed Father G.B. Nguyen Ba Tong was the first Bishop of the Vietnamese Church. He was a priest from the St. Joseph Seminary in Saigon.

- In July 1961, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh appointed Father Giuse Pham Van Thien as the director of the Major Seminary. He was the first Vietnamese director of the Major Seminary.

- To meet the increasing demand, in 1963, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its founding, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh built two new philosophy and theology areas.

- In 1977, the Minor Seminary closed. In 1982, the Major Seminary temporarily ceased operations.

- On December 18, 1986, the St. Joseph Seminary reopened and the opening ceremony of the first course was solemnly celebrated on February 6, 1987.

- On March 19, 2012, Cardinal G.B. Pham Minh Man laid the first stone to build a new house, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the seminary. This house was inaugurated on March 22, 2014.

- October 16, 2013: 150th anniversary of St. Joseph Major Seminary.

- On December 11, 2016, in Vientiane, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato Diocese in the Philippines, representing the Holy Father, celebrated the beatification mass for 17 martyrs in Laos, among the new Blesseds, there was Father Giuse Thao Tien, who had studied at St. Joseph Seminary.

5. Training results

To date, St. Joseph Major Seminary in Saigon has trained 1,485 priests to serve the former Dang Trong Diocese and now the dioceses in the Archdiocese of Saigon.

There are a total of 34 bishops from the Major and Minor Seminaries of St. Joseph of Saigon, including Bishop G.B. Nguyen Ba Tong - the first Vietnamese Bishop, Cardinal Peter Nguyen Van Nhon, Cardinal G.B. Pham Minh Man, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh, Archbishop Philipphe Nguyen Kim Dien, Archbishop Stephano Nguyen Nhu The, Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc, etc.

II. PERSONNEL

Board of Directors and Training Board:

- Director Father Giuse Bui Cong Trac
- Academic Supervisor Father Giuse Do Quang Khang
- Spiritual Director Father Giuse Do Xuan Vinh
- Manager Father Giuse Maria Bui Tuan Anh
- Boarding priests: Father Giuse Nguyen Trong Son; Father Peter Tran Van Khanh; Father Thomas Thien Tran Quoc Hung; Father Phaolo Nguyen Quoc Hung; Father Giuse Pham Van Trong; Father Giuse Nguyen Thanh Thuan; Father Phaolo Nguyen Thanh Sang; Father Denis Pham Bui Vuong; Father Phaolo Nguyen Duc Nguyen.

Currently, there are 13 resident professors in charge of training, teaching, accompaniment and spiritual direction. There are 45 non-resident professors, from different dioceses and religious orders, in charge of teaching subjects according to the Seminary's curriculum. Regarding spiritual direction, in addition to the resident and non-resident spiritual directors of the Saigon Diocese, there are also spiritual directors from other dioceses and spiritual companions.

The Seminary currently has 8 classes: 1 Tu Duc class, 2 Philosophy classes, 4 Theology classes and 1 Nam Thu class. The total number of seminarians is currently around 300, coming from the following dioceses: Saigon, My Tho, Phu Cuong, and a few from the Phan Thiet Diocese.

III. PAST DIRECTORS

1. Father Théodore Louis Wibaux (1861-1877)

2. Father Julien Thiriet (1877-1897)

3. Father Jean Augustin Dumas (1897-1913)

4. Father Urbain Anselme Delignon (1913-1916)

5. Father Auguste Ernerst Hay (1916-1927)

6. Father Urbain Anselme Delignon (1927-1930)

7. Father Albert Pierre Delagnes (1930-1952)

8. Bishop André Lesouef (1952-1961)

9. Bishop Giuse Pham Van Thien (1961-1966)

10. Bishop Gia-co-be Nguyen Van Mau (1966-1968)

11. Father Phao-lo Huynh Ngoc Tien (1968-1975)

12. Father Dam Minh Tran Thai Hiep (1975-1992)

13. Father Phao-lo Le Tan Thanh (1992-2005)

14. Father Ernest Nguyen Van Huong (2005-2011)

15. Bishop Peter Nguyen Van Kham (2011-2012)

16. Father Gioakim Tran Van Huong (2012-2016)

17. Father Giuse Bui Cong Trac (2016-present)

IV. TRAINING PROGRAM

The training program at the Saint Joseph Major Seminary in Saigon closely follows the Ratio 2012 of the Commission for Clergy and Seminarians, under the Vietnamese Bishops' Council, and the Ratio 2016 of the Congregation for Clergy, specifically:

1/ Training period with three stages:

- Pre-Seminary period (preparatory training): Includes the period of preparatory training at home and the period of concentrated preparation. This period lasts from 4-6 years depending on the program of the dioceses.

- Training period at the Major Seminary (basic training): lasts 8 years, specifically: year of asceticism, 2 years of philosophy, 1 year of probation at parishes and 4 years of theology,

- Training period after the Seminary (long-term training): the pastoral year begins after the end of the program at the Major Seminary and lasts until the end of life.

2/ The training content is implemented according to the Church's instructions, revolving around two points:

- The motivation of calling, aiming to help seminarians discern and purify their "good intentions" towards the vocation of diocesan priests, living more and more closely with Jesus, loving the Church and aiming towards the mission of evangelization in the future.

- The abilities suitable for the life of diocesan priests in the parish, that is, being conformed to Christ the priest, with four dimensions of training: human (the foundation of training), spiritual (the soul of training), intellectual (the means of training) and pastoral (the specific goal of training). These four dimensions are closely intertwined and support each other.

V. CONTACT ADDRESS

- Address: St. Joseph Major Seminary, Saigon, 6 Ton Duc Thang, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, City. HCM
- Phone: 08.39104818 – 08.38290109
- E-mail: giamdocdcvsg@gmail.com
- E-mail: buicongtrac@yahoo.com

Saigon Major Seminary
Updated on 20/11/2017

______________________
REFERENCES:

EXLUROSAIGON, 150 years of St. Joseph Minor Seminary in Saigon 1863-2013, Phuong Dong Publishing House, City. HCM 2013.
VIETNAM BISHOPS' COUNCIL, Catholic Church of Vietnam - Yearbook 2016, Religious Publishing House, Hanoi 2016.
ARCHDIOCESE OF HO CHI MINH CITY, 150 years of St. Joseph Seminary in Saigon: Article by Fr. Peter NGUYEN THANH TUNG “Saint Joseph Seminary in Saigon, 150 years of formation and development”, Religious Publishing House, Hanoi 2013.

TRAN ANH DUNG (editor-in-chief), Vietnam Bishops' Council 1980-2000, Dac Lo Tung Thu, Paris 2001.

LIST OF PRIESTS AT SAINT JOSEPH MAJOR SEMINARY IN SAIGON
(2023)

- Bishop Joseph Bui Cong Trac
- Father Joseph Do Xuan Vinh
- Father Joseph Maria Bui Tuan Anh
- Father Paul Nguyen Quoc Hung
- Father Thomas Thien Tran Quoc Hung (MT)
- Father Denis Pham Bui Vuong
- Father Paul Nguyen Phu Cuong (PC)
- Father Paul Nguyen Duc Nguyen
- Father Joseph Tran Hoang Quan
- Father Paul Nguyen Thanh Sang (MT)
- Father Joseph Nguyen Trong Son
- Father Joseph Nguyen Thanh Thuan
- Father Joseph Pham Van Trong
- Father Joseph Cao Minh Triet