Dear Confreres,
In recent days, specifically around November 6th, 2023, Dong Da Hospital has undertaken major renovations and repairs to our old Redemptorist monastery (which was seized decades ago and has been used as Dong Da Hospital) both interior and exterior. During this time, almost all Redemptorists were away on our annual retreat (and I personally was on a retreat from November 6-11 with the clergy of the Hanoi archdiocese). Thus I sent a representative from the Thái Hà Parish Pastoral Council to urgently meet with hospital administrators and demand they halt the repairs and renovations.
Previously, on two occasions, the Hospital Director and Board visited our Parish and met with us to discuss badly needed repairs to dilapidated sections of the hospital. We implored them to petition higher authorities to construct a new hospital elsewhere, explaining that the building was originally built as our monastery and is wholly unsuitable to function as a hospital. We said that for any truly urgent repairs needed immediately (such as ceiling cracks or peeling paint that could harm patients), they must provide clear written requests detailing the precise nature and location of repairs, and we would submit these to higher Church authorities.
However, they have gone ahead with massive renovations without any consultation or written notice to us. When our Parish Council representative went to urgently demand halting the work, the Hospital provided only a vague notice from the Director.
We are drafting an official letter of protest to authorities and considering legal action to stop this unauthorized appropriation of our monastery.
Dear confreres, the monastery seized for this hospital is the physical and spiritual heart of our Congregation in Vietnam, built and prayed in by generations of our Redemptorists over the past century. As we rapidly approach the 100th anniversary of our ministry in this nation, we desperately hope the Congregation can unite to demand its return. We humbly ask for your prayers and advocacy as we fight to reclaim our sacred home.
Thank you, dear confreres. Please share this urgent appeal with all our confreres.
In Christ,
Josesph Nguyễn Văn Hội, CSsR & the Redemptorist community of Hanoi
