By LiCAS.news
VIETNAM – A Catholic priest presiding over a theology graduation Mass in Ho Chi Minh City urged religious sisters to see theological study not as an academic exercise, but as a way of deepening faith and strengthening their witness in mission.
“Studying theology is not only about accumulating knowledge, but also about deepening one’s relationship with God,” said Fr Joseph Tran Hoa Hung, SDB, during the patronal feast of the Intercongregational Institute of St Thomas Aquinas on Jan 24.
Fr Hung, episcopal delegate for religious of the Archdiocese of Saigon, presided over the Mass honoring St Thomas Aquinas and marking the graduation of 108 sisters from nearly 20 women’s religious congregations who completed the institute’s theology program for the 2022–2025 academic years.
The Mass was held at the institute’s campus in An Phu Dong Ward, following a graduation ceremony recognizing what organizers described as a sustained and disciplined journey of theological formation.
The degrees conferred were presented as both academic credentials and spiritual preparation for ministry in pastoral work, education, social charity, and evangelization.
In his message, Fr Hung pointed to St Thomas Aquinas as a model for religious formation, urging the sisters to seek truth with humility, love the Church, and place knowledge at the service of faith.
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