Synodal Church among Fronliners (in the Pandemic)

Fr. Peter Hoang Van Loan, SVD

In the middle of 2021, fear spread throughout Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh City, as the country experienced a dramatic upsurge of the Covid-19 pandemic. The people were traumatized by the sound of ambulance sirens howling at all hours of the day and night. Hearses and other vehicles overloaded with coffins lined up for days to reach incinerators. 

Lockdowns were implemented at every corner of the city leading many people to escape the metropolis by motorbikes, and on foot for other means of transport were banned. Some health care workers and officials simply stopped going to work or resigned in fear of their personal health. Many Covid-19 patients died because hospitals were understaffed. Fear and anxiety was palpable throughout the city as it wailed for its sick and dying. "What can we do?" Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang

of the Archdiocese of Saigon asked himself and his staff who were isolated in the bishop’s residence. The concern raised by Archbishop Joseph reached the Vietnam Bishops’ Conference and a call to serve in Covid-19 hospitals reached priest, religious, catechists, and the youth.

The Synod with the theme "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission" was launched in October 2021 when we as priests, religious, and lay people were caring for Covid-19 patients in field hospitals in response to the call of the Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference for volunteers to help with the crisis. Fr. Joseph Tran Thanh Hai, SVD and I were enlisted for the fourth batch together with 107 other priests and religious from various congregations in Saigon Archdiocese. In taking part in this ministry, I felt the very spirit of a Synodal Church in this significant experience.

It seemed to be the first time in history that thousands of Vietnamese priests, religious and laity moved out from their parish, convent and home for months to follow a common call, share the same mission, and work together like what took place in this pandemic. Archbishop Marek Zalewski, Apostolic nuncio to Vietnam, commented in a meeting with religious volunteers of the Archdiocese of Saigon: "There were not many countries where religious people were able to have this kind of experience." Leaving our religious habits behind and "wrapping" ourselves in "uniform" of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from head to toe, we leveled distinctions, overcame distances, and ignored any clericalism or hierarchy among us. Undertaking the common task of fighting against the coronavirus and sharing the same aim of showing God's love to others, we experienced the spirit of unity and felt a sense of belonging. Though pandemic safety protocols must be observed, we agreed to have Mass daily to pray for all frontliners and patients, and subgroups gathered near containers storing death bodies in the hospitals to pray for the repose of their souls before beginning our shift. Despite the challenges of the situation, we were able to come together for spiritual nourishment and mutual support.

Despite our good will and enthusiasm, the work turned out to be extremely challenging. Being thrown into a new and so special field with neither professional skills nor proper training, at first we mostly felt lost and helpless. In protective suits, we all looked alike, so people thought we were doctors, and consequently expected us to give treatment. Patients would often ask us questions related to their treatment that we were not aware of. An elderly patient screamed in a rage when he was given the wrong food, "I told you to feed me only diabetic food, didn't I? Or you want to kill me?" Most of the patients we encountered had been admitted for a few days or hours and felt confused and helpless like us. Moreover, they had been taken from their homes so quickly and without any companion that some didn’t even know where they had been rushed to. Feeling frustrated, some patients hardly collaborated, refused treatment, counseling, and even went on hunger strike. We tried our best to help them understand our good intentions to take care of them, but many times we failed. A few could not make it because we didn't have enough time for them. Feeling moved by the urgent needs of the patients, we were often so immersed in the work that by the time our shift was over, we were thoroughly exhausted. Individually, we tried our best, but it seemed that our presence often didn't make any difference for the patients, and that made us feel helpless and even guilty.

Consequently, sad experiences were shared, discouraging feedback was heard, and negative thoughts arose. We saw a need for a prompt review of the situation and a more effective response. Immediately, I called a meeting, proposing that "Enthusiasm alone is not enough." After sharing our struggles and looking for resolution, we surprised ourselves by coming up with extremely promising solutions thanks to our openness and cooperation. We implemented the following:

- Organized two immediate training sessions, one by health care worker on how to use simple medical equipment and look after Covid-19 patients physically, and the other via Zoom by a psychologist on how to counsel patients, especially uncooperative patients.

- Divided ourselves into groups of three, assigned subgroups to different areas of the hospital, and drew a cross attached to a heart on our PPE.

- Created a patient record via Google sheet in which necessary information should be updated to groups in charge of them as soon as possible after each shift. Informed the next group about emergency cases and immediate tasks at the time of the handover.

- Helped patients with a sense of normalcy by connecting them with their loved ones to enable them to cope with sad accounts they heard every day in the media.

When the trainings had been done and the proposed resolutions were implemented, we felt an incredible sense of relief and positive spirit because we could now see the outcome of our collaboration and sacrifice.

Working well as a team, we also lived as an authentic community. Having to wear our PPE and work for 7 to 8 hours each day, getting "soaked" in sweat and dragging our feet like robots, we became exhausted and might have given up. However, by making use of our free time to meet each other, making merry and having celebrations, we were able to cope with the stress of the situation. Most of celebrants were so surprised to have such expressive celebrations considering the circumstances when the group organized a celebration for them on the occasion of their birthday or patronage feast. "I would have never imagined!" a birthday celebrant expressed in tears of happiness. As a result of sharing work and life, we felt attached to each other like real brothers and sisters. Noticing the way the religious sisters in our group interacted with each other in the quarantine area before leaving for our homes, some of the hosts asked them if they were from the same congregation.

The time we had to depart to return to our various communities was the moment we felt most the sense of belonging and togetherness. Fr. Joseph Hai expressed in a writing for Saigon Archdiocese's website that we were grateful to God for the blessed days of serving and encountering each other. We all wish to experience again how lay people, religious men and women, and priests could share their life and mission. We long to see each other along the path of life in different circumstances, but led by the same spirit, the spirit of Synod 2021 – 2023, in which the Church broke through all barriers and differences in order to journey together in communion, participation, and mission.