The Loyola School of Theology (L.S.T.) invites you to the oral defense of the S.T.L. Tesina entitled “Intergenerational Trauma of Vietnamese Migrating Catholic Families from North to South in the Period from 1954 to 2020” by Fr. NGUYEN HUU TINH (Diocese of Nha Trang) on 10 December 2025, Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. at the Tipanan ni San Ignacio, DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., L.S.T. The Board of Examiners is composed of Fr. Teodulo Gonzales, S.J., Ph.D. (Adviser), Antonia Siy, Ph.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), and Maria Cynthia Gavino, Ph.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Licentiate in Sacred Theology concentrating in the field of Spirituality and Pastoral Psychology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: This study examines the phenomenon of intergenerational trauma among Vietnamese Catholics who migrated from the North to the South in 1954 following the Geneva Accords, one of the largest religious migrations in modern Vietnamese history. With nearly one million migrants, this event was not merely a geographical relocation but a spiritual rupture and deep emotional wounding, rooted in the profound political and social upheavals of the time.
Grounded in an interdisciplinary and pastoral-reflective methodology, the study integrates insights from history, culture, sociology, psychology, and theology. It combines in-depth interviews with three generations of Catholic migrant families with historical document analysis and trauma theory, in order to explore how faith and memory interact in the transmission and transformation of collective trauma.
The findings reveal that trauma not only affected those who directly experienced the 1954 migration but also extended to subsequent generations, manifested through silence, family dynamics, moral expectations, and even religious practices.
Within this process, Catholic faith emerges as a dynamic force of healing and transformation, a spiritual energy that has enabled these families to endure, adapt, and reconstruct their identity through spiritual life and community belonging.
Beyond academic analysis, this research offers a pastoral reflection on how the Church can accompany and heal intergenerational wounds, not merely through theoretical frameworks, but through a compassionate heart, sincere listening, deep empathy, and the hope that flows from the Gospel of love.
