DAUGHTER OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

Daughter of the Miraculous Medal –  Sister Catherine An Dung Trinh, F.M.M.                                                                                       Fille de la Médaille Miraculeuse                                                                                 †  Vietnam’s only religious Order designated for ethnic minority women  †                                 This Sister plays a vital role in evangelizing and preserving local traditions.                                                             “A clear sign of God’s love for ethnic groups”

Founder:  Bishop Jean Liévin Joseph Sion Khâm, M.E.P.                                                                          Motto:  “Dilexi te”  –  “I fell in love with you”

Place:  Kon Tum, (“Lake Village”) Vietnam

Year:  1947 A.D.

Her Charism:  This indigenous Sister lives in a sleepy little forested place of hilltribe villages in the central highlands.  Slow-paced and off the beaten path, it is in these hills that she is sent to help the poor live with dignity and teach Christian values.  She brings them the Good News of the Gospel by showing them the Face of God and helping them experience the depth of His love through her work.  This is as unique as it is challenging as there are 53 ethnic minority agrarian societies, each with its own culture, language, and traditions.  Most ethnic villagers are impoverished and illiterate and live in bamboo huts with thatched roofs. Most of these huts are perched on stilts as was the original Catholic Church of Kon Tum.          *Destabilized by the Vietnam War, tribal people began abandoning their infants, especially when the mother died.  These babies were received into orphanages managed by a “Ya” (Sister) who was their “mother.”  Today, her works of maternal charity continue to include offering food and shelter for unwed mothers, healthcare, and education for the orphaned and disabled children who have been severely mistreated.  Throughout her ministries she helps preserve each ethnic group’s culture and traditions that are being eaten away by modern society.  This Sister’s humanity and concern born out of faith make her an ideal conduit for teaching moral values, living skills, and catechism.  Because she is an ethnic woman herself, she sincerely understands, has empathy for, and works very effectively with different ethnic groups.  Her “spirit and life” help the orphans create their own family even though they are from different ethnic groups.  These children live in harmony respecting and supporting one another, even exchanging customs and traditions with each other, making their lives happier.  This Sister’s virtues are charitable love, purity of heart and thought, simplicity, humbleness, kindness, and great respect for human dignity.  Her love is shown by the sweat of her brow and the strength of her arms.  She is undoubtedly part of the creative and miraculous power of the Good News that is taken to the ends of the earth and is a visible reminder of the salvation of Jesus Christ.  † The Miraculous Medal is a testimony of faith in Jesus Christ and of the power of trusting prayer as well as a source of great grace, patience, forgiveness, and repentance.  It is also an important building block in Catholic Marian devotion.  Mary stands as a living and constant reminder of her protection for her children and also of the part she played in our salvation and her role as Mother of the Church. †