Voices 9/4: More adventures and pictures from Fr. Steve Grozio, CM

A

message

from

Father

Steve

Grozio,

CM

Dear friends,

On Sunday, August 31, Fr. Luis Romero, CM, the Superior of the Miraculous Medal House, celebrated a Mass welcoming the seminarians as they began the new scholastic year. The students arrived throughout the day on Saturday and spent time in orientation meetings. Their classes began this week at St. John’s University. Please keep them in your prayers.

The first thing one encounters on the drive from the airport is the large number of motorbikes on the road. They seem to be the principal mode of transportation for the average person. A few days later, as we drove through the country, we caught a glimpse of how a large number of people in Vietnam live. Small storefront businesses line both sides of the road for miles, and we were told that these are the main source of income for most families. Click here to see a short video taken in traffic and here to see the storefronts.

Some Facts About the Seminary in Da Lat

In Da Lat, Fr. John the Baptist Dang Kim, CM, got us settled in our rooms, then gave us a tour of the seminary. Several things were very interesting: The well-constructed building houses about 120 seminarians. Fr. John showed us a large conference room, which already seems too small for the number of students, and a library where the stacks of books are surrounded by desks that the seminarians use for their study and work. 

Great efforts are made to keep their program financially stable. For example, seminarians roast and grind coffee beans, which are grown in the surrounding area. Click here for pictures of the coffee operation. Some of the coffee is for the seminary, and the rest is packaged and sold. Another cost-cutting measure is food preparation. There is only one cook for the entire group, but each morning a crew of seminarians is assigned to kitchen duty, cutting up all the vegetables and doing all the other preparations so that all the cook has to do is “cook.” 

As the tour continued, we shouldn’t have been surprised when we walked past the garage where the vehicles were parked. As mentioned in a paragraph above, the main mode of transportation for the people is by motorbike. One garage held the motorbikes of the priests, who use them to go to their ministry assignments. The motorbikes of the students, which they use to go to their apostolates, are kept in another garage. Click here to see the pictures. Keep in mind that they are young. Their median age is 46! 

Seminarians also use their talents to decorate the building, painting Vincentian murals on the walls of the stairway landings. Click here for pictures.

Other Interesting People and Places We Saw

The Mission to People with Leprosy: We were also able to visit a leper colony staffed by the Daughters of Charity. Leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) is a bacterial infection. Treatment is highly effective in curing the disease, and early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent permanent nerve damage.

The story of their mission is fascinating. In about 1925, a French priest, Fr. Jean Cassainge, arrived as a missioner. One of his hobbies was hunting, which took him deep into the forest where, around 1927, he came across a colony of people with leprosy hidden far away from society. He must have written to the Daughters of Charity because they arrived about two years later to open a mission for the lepers. The sisters tell the story that in order to get the land they needed for the mission, Fr. Jean Cassainge invited local leaders to a big feast, slaughtering two bulls for the occasion. After serving lots of drinks, he convinced the invitees to donate the land on which the mission is located today. It now has a church, meeting rooms, a clinic, an operating room, small houses for each individual family, and facilities for the elderly (including a kitchen and dining room). Considering how the land was donated, it was not a surprise to learn that the Daughters do not have a deed to the property, but it seems that as long as the Daughters continue to staff that mission, the government will not move to take over the land. For the sake of the people, the Daughters continue to remain there.

Fr. Jean Cassainge was later named a bishop. His memory is kept alive at the mission. His small bedroom and adjoining sitting room are preserved as a museum. Like St. Damien of Molokai, Bishop Cassainge contracted leprosy and eventually died from it. There is a movement to have him beatified. Click here to see pictures in the museum. 

 Our Lady of Nui Cui: A Shrine to Mary

As we neared the town where Fr. Paul would celebrate his First Mass, we stopped at a shrine recently built to honor Mary. I mention it because, remarkably, the statue of Mary is 50 meters high and is built on a pedestal almost equally as high. In a communist country with only 7 million Catholics, it was nice to see such a great symbol of our faith. Click here for some pictures.

Invitation from the Vincentian Family Office

In conjunction with the celebration of its 10th Anniversary, the Vincentian Family Office, is sponsoring a Video Contest for Youth and Young Adults that will deepen their understanding of the Saints and Blesseds of the Vincentian Family. To learn more about the contest, please visit famvin.org, and please share this opportunity with the youth and young adults you know.

A Post of the Nuntia Express

[The Nuntia provides updates on Vincentians from around the globe.]

Click here to read a recent post from the Nuntia Express about Francisca Benicia de Oliveira (Sr. Clemencia), Daughter of Charity. 

A Pastoral Reflection on Immigration

The bishops of the Iowa Catholic Conference published an excellent pastoral reflection on immigration reminding us that, “Immigration is not merely a political or economic issue; it is a deeply moral matter that calls for a response rooted in faith, justice, and mercy.” To read it click here.

 CMSM Justice and Peace Alert

Click here to read the August 28, 2025, issue of Conference of Major Superiors of Men [CMSM] Justice & Peace Alert. It contains links to the CMSM statement on migration, a six-part resource designed to accompany the faithful in ecological conversion, and information on a bipartisan proposal for immigration reform.

May God bless you in the week ahead, and may Our Lady wrap you in her love and grace, drawing you closer to her Son.

Yours in St. Vincent,

Fr. Steve Grozio, CM

Provincial, Congregation of the Mission, Eastern Province

Vinsights

Vincentian Insights from the Province

Fr. Tom McKenna, CM

“One of the most consoling of the beliefs we profess in our Apostles Creed is that of The Communion of Saints. It’s an article of faith that acknowledges and believes that we are not alone.”

read reflection >

Trivia time!

1. Which country’s Supreme Court is deciding the verdict and sentencing of its former president on allegations that he led a conspiracy to stay in power after losing the country’s 2022 election?

2. Approximately how much of the United States’ workforce do immigrants make up?

3. What is considered Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize?

last week’s results

1. Whose papacy began on August 26?

2. What is the capital of Albania?

3. What is the name of the German Shepherd police/traffic/spy pup in the children’s show Paw Patrol? 

Prayer requests

Please pray for the repose of the souls of:

All the Vincentian Priests and Brothers who have gone before us

Please remember in your prayers:

Our sick brothers and priests

Our confreres in St. Catherine’s Infirmary

All those affected by war

All those affected by natural disasters

All victims of violence and their families

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