Ashes and dragons

The beginning of Lent, as in all Catholic parishes, was a busy one at Visitation BVM in Philadelphia but with an important twist. Ash Wednesday saw large crowds at our five Vietnamese, English, and Spanish Masses.

Father Tom McCluskey had the school students excited to begin a season of change. Confessions were held for one hour at noon, and two priests heard Spanish confessions for two hours in the evening.

This year it happened that Lunar New Year’s Eve fell on Ash Wednesday. The Vietnamese community celebrated with a 9 p.m. Mass. Our new provincial, Father Paul Borowski, was one of the concelebrants and had the distinct honor of handing out bottles of wine to the senior citizens after Mass. The traditional lighting of firecrackers, dragon dance, and the giving of red envelopes full of “luck money” helped to round out the evening.

On Sunday the actual New Year’s (Tết) Festival took place in the community center. There was a concelebrated Mass at 9 a.m. followed by an all-day party. Hundreds of people came to revel in the “Year of the Goat.”

There were plenty of games for children and bingo and gambling for adults. Father John Olenick is rumored to have walked away with $30. Large portions of pho (chicken soup), Vietnamese hoagies, and spring rolls were sold to hungry patrons.

There was live music and singing, including a celebrated duet by Sister Lucia and our own Father Joseph Tran. The children from the youth group performed many dances and put on a fabulous fashion show to the cheers of the crowd.

All in all it was a joyous occasion for our people. Check out more pics from Ash Wednesday and Tết on our brand new Facebook page: www.facebook.com/vizo.philly

—Father Joseph Olenick, pastor