The Lovers of the Holy Cross (french: Amantes de la Croix,
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
: '' Dòng Mến Thánh Giá'') is a federation of a number of
congregations of diocesan right of
religious sisters
A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...
, founded in 1670 by the first
Vicar Apostolic
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
in
Tonkin
Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain ''Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includi ...
and
Cochinchina
Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; vi, Đàng Trong (17th century - 18th century, Việt Nam (1802-1831), Đại Nam (1831-1862), Nam Kỳ (1862-1945); km, កូសាំងស៊ីន, Kosăngsin; french: Cochinchine; ) is a historical exony ...
,
Pierre Lambert de la Motte
Pierre Lambert de la Motte, MEP (16 January 1624 – 15 January 1679) was a French bishop. He was a founding member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society and became a missionary in Asia.
Biography
Lambert de la Motte was born 16 January 1624 in ...
,
M.E.P.
The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons ...
According to 2002 statistics, it has about 4,822 members.
It is the first female religious congregation to be distinguished by its East Asian characteristics, both contemplative and active, and founded in Vietnam. During its 335 years of existence, the Lovers of the Holy Cross community, have gone through various trials and tribulations: persecutions, disasters, wars, and changes of political regimes.
As of 2005, there were 24 autonomous congregations of the Lovers of the Holy Cross Sisters. In addition to their native Vietnam, there is one congregation in the United States, three in Thailand and two in Laos.
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References
External links
Lovers of the Holy Cross Los Angeles - Dòng Mến Thánh Giá Los Angeles*
{{Catholic congregation
Christian organizations established in the 17th century
Overseas Vietnamese Roman Catholic orders and churches
Religious organizations established in the 1670s
Catholic female orders and societies
Vietnamese-American history
1670 establishments in Vietnam