3282 Bishop Joseph Van Tiem sdb - R.I.P.
austraLasia #3282

 


Bishop Joseph Van Tiêm sdb - R.I.P.
(Note: Bishop Tiêm died suddenly on 17 August of a heart attack.  The mortuary letter from the Provincial is reproduced below)

HCM: 13 September 2013 -- "Our much beloved confrere and Bishop
                                     JOSEPH HOANG VAN TIEM
went home to our heavenly Father at approximately 4:00 in the morning of August 17, 2013 He was 75 years of age on paper but practically he should be 77 years of age (simply because of war at that time). He was born and baptized in Bui Chu, North  Vietnam.
1) Before the events of 1975 : When the 1954 Geneva Cease-fire Agreement became effective, he fled together with his family to the South of Vietnam to escape from  Communist domination. He was then a diocesan cleric. Once in the South and because of the difficulties of all kinds at that time, his intention to become a diocesan priest failed. He came to know the Salesians and asked to join this Congregation. In fact,  he was admitted into the novitiate in 1961 at Thu Duc under the care of a holy novice master, a Slovenian missionary coming from Hong Kong, Fr.Andrew Majcen who is now in the process of canonization.
After his first profession in 1962, he went to Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong for his three year course of Philosophy. He came back to Vietnam to do his practical training. As soon as he finished practical training, he was sent first to Italy and then to the Holy Land (Cremisan) for his theological studies. After being ordained priest in l973, he returned to Vienam and did his pastoral works in the newly erected studentate at Dalat.
2) After 1975, Vietnam now under the control of the Communist Party. All foreign missionaries were expelled fromVietnam. Within the great turmoil of the situation, he was sent together with the other four clerics to Thanh Binh parish which is about 20 kilometers away from Dalat City, and belongs to Dalat Diocese. After serving the local church for about almost 20 years, he was transferred to the Major Seminary in Hanoi where he taught moral theology. At the climax of his lifetime, he was nominated and ordained Bishop of Bui Chu Diocese in 2001.
3) He was devoted in his religious life. Those who  lived familiarly around him all had the same obsevations that he was a man of joy ; he was a God-given talented person, very skillful in bringing a smile, a laugh, joy and happiness to those around him. He was a good Salesian who effectively
put Don Bosco's Preventive System into action.
4) In pastoral works: he was good-hearted, very zealous in helping and supporting others, particularly the old people, the poor, the abandoned. All this can be seen during the time he was the parish priest of Thanh Binh. He helped many people of all kinds, Catholic as well as non-Catholic, Vietnamese and other races alike.He had a great influence over his surroundings
As Bishop of Bui Chu, he carried out great work in the Diocese especially in the formation of priests and lay people. His pastoral care is entrusted to Bishop Thomas Vu dinh Hieu, his successor.
We must mention one magnificent devotion of his. This is his devotion to Our Blessed Mother Mary. He had a strong love for her. This is manifested in his Episcopal motto : "DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU' (Jn 2:5)

As Bishop Joseph has shared for so many years in the bread and work promised by Don Bosco we pray he will now receive the long-awaited Paradise".

















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