This past Lent (meaning springtime), two of our Sisters, Sr. Margaret Vang Nguyen, OP and Sr. Helen Ninh Nguyen, OP, completed their earthly mission and returned to their Lord and Bridegroom in the very Year of the Consecrated Life. We are most grateful for their life of witness of fidelity to the Lord and their service to the Church and our religious community.

Born five years apart, Sister Margaret and Sister Helen were separated only one month (the former preceded the latter) into eternal life. Their lives in many ways than not, converged and mirrored one another. Sister Margaret (1924-2015) and Sister Helen (1919-2015) originated from North Viet Nam, migrated to the South in 1954 and from there immigrated to the United States of America in 1975. Both began their religious vocations as pious women of local chapters of a public association and did not profess the evangelical counsels until later in their forties. Their early ministries were toward the children: Sister Margaret was a children’s catechist while Sister Helen volunteered at an orphanage. Sister Helen not only cared for these forgotten cherubs, she even buried more or less than 300 these orphans when famine and epidemic broke out. Furthermore, both Sisters were staunch supporters of the priesthood. Sister Margaret assisted a parish priest with religious formation, served as the parish sacristan, and led prayers when religious freedom was at stake. Meanwhile, Sister Helen served the Bishop and seminarians in various capacities as tailor and cook. More so, both Sister Margaret and Sister Helen, once a consecrated religious, served diligently several terms as local superiors of various mission houses of the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province.

However, each Sister was distinctive in her own unique way and personality. Sister Margaret was an introvert whose preferred a more humble and hidden life; her loving actions toward the Sisters in community spoke volumes. On the other hand, Sister Helen was definitely an extrovert who enjoyed traveling and would never pass up a chance to the bowling alley. In fact two months prior to her passing, Sister Margaret joined the Sisters for a “Wake of the World” event one Saturday morning. Sister Margaret patiently endured the trials of old age for twelve years with the hope that she may become more united to Christ, the crucified. Sister Helen however, was active until the end; she spent her free time making rosary bracelets, visiting others, and forging new friendships. While both are sorely missed, we commend them to your charity and we hope to reunite with them in the “new heaven and new earth” (Rev. 21:1).