Following years of fruitful connections, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has entered into a formal "sister dioceses" relationship with the Archdiocese of Saigon.

Cardinal Roger Mahony and Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man signed the formal agreement at the cardinal's residence at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles July 1.

"May the bond between us grow strong through the exchange of gifts, especially the gift of prayer and of mutual support," states the agreement.

The agreement was signed by the two cardinals as well as Father Peter Kham Nguyen, director of the Saigon Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, and Dr. Michael Downey, who serves as Cardinal Mahony's theologian. Dr. Downey has visited Vietnam several times and last summer taught seminarians a course in spirituality.

Cardinal Mahony said he was looking forward to visiting Saigon sometime next year. In 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, although Saigon is still commonly used.

In an interview with The Tidings, Cardinal Man said he hoped that the agreement would foster the two dioceses "to be in communion with each other."

Plans being discussed include having seminarians from Saigon study at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo and also serve pastorally throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In the future young priests from Saigon might be able to pursue graduate study in theology, Scripture, spirituality or education at local Catholic universities.

Advanced study is an important value for Cardinal Man, and his connection to Los Angeles spans several decades. The Vietnamese cardinal studied education and administration at Loyola Marymount University from 1968 to 1971. During that time he also served as an assistant priest at St. Gerard Majella Church in Los Angeles.

"The main purpose is to serve better the people in Saigon and [Los Angeles]," said Cardinal Man. He said priests serve the goal of communion by assisting families and communities to be strong. "Family and community is the cell of the church and of society," said Cardinal Man. "If the cell is healthy, then the church and the society will be healthy."

The cardinal advised Vietnamese Catholics living in Southern California to integrate into the local church and community while also maintaining the values of Vietnamese culture and traditions, particularly for family, extended family and respect for the elderly.

To do so, he said, is "to enrich, to bring abundant life."

This year, three of the dozen priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were born in Vietnam. Since 1998, 12 of the 63 priests ordained for the archdiocese have been born in Vietnam.