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 It combines in-depth interviews with three generations of Catholic migrant families with historical document analysis and trauma theory, in order to explore how faith and memory interact in the transmission and transformation of collective trauma.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.

Final Defense:

Board of Examiners:

1. Fr. Teodulo Gonzales, S.J., Ph.D. (Adviser)
2. Antonia Siy, Ph.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner)
3. Maria Cynthia Gavino, Ph.D.

Proposal Defense:

Board of Examiners:
1. Fr. Teodulo Gonzales, S.J., Ph.D. (Adviser)
2. Maria Cynthia Gavino, Ph.D.
3. Antonia Siy, Ph.D.