Some 700 priests and 14 bishops from Vietnam’s ten northern dioceses attended a special meeting on June 1-3 in So Kien parish in Hanoi to mark the Year for Priests.

The special year will officially end in Rome with an international gathering of priests with the Pope June 9-11.

The meeting was a special time for “local bishops and priests to live in close communion with God and to renew our ministries to serve local Catholics,” said Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon of Hanoi.

The head of Vietnam’s Bishops’ Conference, noted that communion is the origin and foundation and aim of their ministry.

Bishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh of Thanh Hoa said the meeting was the first of its kind.

The northern dioceses have a total of 824 priests.

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