Abstract:

The fall of Saigon (1975) was a significant factor in the large numbers of Vietnamese American vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This event led some 125,000 refugees from South Vietnam to the U.S., including hundreds of priests, seminarians, and men and women religious. Their sudden presence prompted a host of responses from American Catholics under the leadership and coordination of the United States Catholic Conference. This leadership led to relatively quick resettlement of religious, priests, and seminarians. Combining exilic experience and identity with the Catholic faith, these refugees established communities in the U.S. and promoted vocations to the priesthood and religious life for the preservation of Vietnamese tradition and faith in their new home.