The Vietnamese Catholic Community of Perth celebrated the start of the Lunar New Year, or Tết, with a Thanksgiving Mass on January 28. Despite the intense summer heat, more than a thousand people of all ages gathered at the Vietnamese Catholic Community Centre, dressed in colourful traditional attire, to mark one of the most important events in Vietnamese culture. The hall quickly reached capacity, with extra seating set up outdoors to accommodate the large turnout.
New Year celebrations in a number of Asian communities are a time for unity, renewal, and gratitude. For Vietnamese Catholics, Tết provides an opportunity to thank God for blessings of the past year, seek forgiveness for shortcomings, and embrace the new year with renewed faith and determination.
This year’s Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB who was joined by several priests from the Vietnamese Catholic Community and Perth Archdiocese. The Mass began with prayers of gratitude and petitions for peace, harmony, and love within families and the broader community. The faithful also gave thanks for the achievements of the past year and sought God’s guidance for the year ahead.
In his homily for the occasion, Archbishop Costelloe spoke about the significance of the Year of the Snake, reflecting on its cultural and spiritual symbolism. He acknowledged both the positive and negative representations of the snake.
“The snake symbolises many things: some are positive and express hopes, dreams, and qualities; others, express attitudes and behaviors which the Lord may be calling us to recognise in ourselves and offer to Him, so that He might purify them and help us to become the people He is calling us to be,” Archbishop Costelloe shared.
“As Christians, what is important is that we have the courage and the honesty to recognise both our strengths and our weaknesses and bring them all before the Lord, asking Him to bless and strengthen all that is good in us and to heal all that is broken or damaged or negative in us.”
Archbishop Costelloe drew upon the Gospel reading of the Beatitudes, challenging attendees to examine their hearts.
“One way in which we can test the level of courage and honesty we have is by allowing tonight’s Gospel, to shine a light on our lives. Am I really poor in spirit as Jesus asks me to be? Do I regard growing richer and richer financially as the most important task of my life? Do I ultimately put my trust only in my financial security? Is this really what the Lord is asking of me?”
“Am I able to mourn? Am I able to love so deeply and so generously and so selflessly that when I lose someone I love, either through death or in some other way, I feel that loss and turn to the Lord who can give me comfort? In my relationships within my family, within my community of faith, and with my friends or colleagues at work or at school, am I meek, gentle, sensitive, attentive to others’ needs, or am I perhaps always thinking only about what is best for me? Am I concerned for justice, for treating people fairly, for not taking advantage of others, or do I perhaps see things only from my own point of view? Am I really a merciful person, ready to forgive freely and generously when someone hurts me, or am I more inclined to hold grudges, to be resentful, or even to seek revenge?”
“These are very challenging questions, and we should take the opportunity that the Lunar New Year offers to decide that, as best we can, each one of us will try to build into our lives the qualities Jesus speaks about — the Beatitudes.”
Symbolic Blessings and Community Unity
Following the final blessing, a special tradition took place. Archbishop Costelloe, along with the concelebrating priests, distributed red packets — symbolic gifts representing blessings and prosperity — to the congregation. This gesture was met with great joy, reinforcing the spirit of generosity and goodwill that Tết embodies.
Parishioners expressed their gratitude for the Archbishop’s presence and personal blessings, many taking the opportunity to receive his prayers and words of encouragement.
“It’s wonderful to have Archbishop Tim celebrate Tết with us. It is especially meaningful to begin the Jubilee Year of Hope with this celebration as we embark on this pilgrimage of faith and placing our trust in Christ” said Eric Nguyen.
The celebrations did not end with the Mass. In keeping with the spirit of unity, a Tết reunion dinner followed, attended by clergy, religious sisters, and the families of the Vietnamese Catholic Community and Finance Committee Members.
Traditional Vietnamese dishes were shared and stories were exchanged, as families came together to welcome the new year in joy and gratitude.
The dinner highlighted both cultural heritage and the importance of unity and support in faith. The Vietnamese Catholic Community of Perth’s Tết celebration was a powerful reflection of the strength of faith and tradition. As families left, they carried with them gratitude for the past year and hope for the year ahead.
