Members of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement presented a flower offering May 5 in honor of Mary at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu. According to Ann Tran, president of the Hawaii chapter of VEYM, the flower offering is an annual custom to show love and honor for Mary; the group also offers incense per traditional Vietnamese customs. (Courtesy Ann Tran)
The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement marks 25 years of bringing young people in Hawaii together
By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Being part of a supportive network can play a crucial role in helping people thrive in their faith and in the church.
For the past 25 years, the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement has provided that very environment for one of Hawaii’s many enthusiastic ethnic communities.
The group, known as VEYM, is based within the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Catholic Community, which calls the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu home.
Ann Tran has long been involved in VEYM and is currently president of its Hawaii chapter, Anre Dung Lac, which is named for St. Andrew Dung-Lac.
St. Andrew was one of 117 martyrs in Vietnam killed between the 17th and 19th centuries during crackdowns on the Catholic faith. The martyrs — comprising both clergy and laypeople, both native Vietnamese and foreign missionaries — represent all the faithful in Vietnam who suffered from persecution despite Catholicism’s centuries-old roots in the country.
The martyrs’ feast day is Nov. 24, which is when VEYM will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the co-cathedral with Bishop Larry Silva presiding.
“Their sacrifice has allowed me to be a practicing Vietnamese Catholic without fear of persecution,” Tran told the Hawaii Catholic Herald.
The feast day is not merely an occasion to mark the VEYM’s milestone anniversary; it is commemorated annually, Tran said, to remind the faithful of the sacrifices the martyrs made.
Remembering the martyrs also provides an opportunity for VEYM members to preserve and perpetuate their Vietnamese heritage and traditional customs.
“Our parish continues to maintain Vietnamese traditions by dedicating an offering ceremony during Mass with incense and traditional drums each year,” she said.
Excitement, expansion
The VEYM’s engaging worship activities — which include performances by its young members and a celebration of Mary that features a dance with flowers or fans — reflect a growing enthusiasm for the group.
According to Tran, VEYM first arrived in the U.S. in the 1970s as Vietnamese immigrants left their country after the fall of Saigon.
“Our founders saw the value of continuing this ministry in the United States to develop a community that not only upholds Vietnamese traditions but also brings the youth closer to Christ,” Tran said.
Over the years, VEYM has not only seen an increase in membership, its youth participants are more involved in “forward-facing” events such as the martyrs’ feast day, Lunar New Year and Nativity scenes, she said.
“In fact, our community was very blessed to be asked to present one of our dances to the broader church in Hawaii at the Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference” as part of the offertory during Mass at the Hawaii Convention Center in 2018, Tran said.
This engagement with the broader church in Hawaii aligns with the five principles VEYM has laid out that guide members’ actions and decision-making, according to Tran. The principles, which are listed on VEYM’s national website, include honoring Mary and the 117 Vietnamese martyrs; engaging in prayer, communion, sacrifice and apostolic work in order to be closer to the Eucharistic Christ; loving and obeying the pope; and improving humanity, which also involves protecting and developing Vietnamese traditions and culture.
Members of the entire Vietnamese Catholic Community gathered in March for a retreat aimed at bringing families closer by helping them improve communication and learn how to pray together. Ann Tran described “Betania II” as a follow-up to a similar retreat in 2022, “Betania I”; both came to fruition after the community’s former chaplain, Father Dominic Nguyen, saw a large generational and cultural gap between American-born and -raised young people and their parents, who are often first-generation immigrants. (Courtesy Ann Tran)
Personal growth
Tran said VEYM has helped her grow in her own faith and her broader outlook on life.
Her relationship with Christ has become stronger thanks to VEYM’s foundation, which is “based on the church’s teachings from Christ, and (accepts) the Eucharistic Jesus Christ as its focal point.” Also, she said, “I found that how I treated others changed in a positive way, and that I was less afraid of the unknown because I learned to trust that Christ was on my side.”
Tran cited a confirmation preparation retreat as the turning point that strengthened her faith.
“Through VEYM, I was able to connect with peers who come from similar backgrounds as me, Vietnamese and Catholic, which made it very easy for us to connect and unite in the journey to learn more about God and our faith.”
Finding a strong faith community is especially important these days, Tran said, when it can be seen as “uncool” to follow Jesus and the church’s teachings. Instead of being embarrassed and discouraged, young people can surround themselves with others who share their Catholic faith.
One of the ways VEYM members are encouraged to engage with their faith is by “Living the Eucharistic Day.” Faithful dedicate time in the morning and evening to give offerings — routines that include prayer and reflection — which “encourages the youth to reflect on their day through prayer by giving thanks and offering up any struggles that one may be currently facing,” Tran said.
Tran said that she tries to engage in Living the Eucharistic Day and that when she does, it “always sets my day off on the right tone and eases me when the day comes to an end,” which results in spiritual nourishment that fuels the various VEYM events she attends.
Making time for the offerings amid the busyness of her daily life is possible, she said, because she has been able to understand her priorities and how to dedicate her time accordingly.
“Personally, my faith is placed first and foremost on my priority list,” she said, so she devotes one full day to faith-related activities such as Mass or VEYM events.
Going out into the world
VEYM not only provides a strong faith foundation, it helps members be confident in the wider society.
Tran said that when she struggles with interpreting the flood of information that inundates social media and the internet, she is grateful that she can speak to priests and other church leaders with many years in the faith behind them.
Tran, who has been involved with VEYM for years, said she has observed the Hawaii chapter drawing more interest from young people “who are excited to come to church to serve others and learn more about their faith to spread the Good News.”
“I hope VEYM members can show others that learning about Jesus can be fun,” Tran said.
She encouraged young Catholics to give the organization a try, even if they are skeptical at first — like she was, she said.
“Once I was able to experience the opportunities, I’ve never regretted becoming more involved,” she said. “I’m proud to say that VEYM has allowed me and others to develop a lifelong relationship as everyone journeys to grow closer to Christ.”
The interview with Tran was facilitated by Father Anthony Tran, parochial vicar of the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa and chair of the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Catholic Community.
