ASIA/VIETNAM - Auxiliary Bishop of Hochiminh Ville appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on October 15, 2008, named Fr. Pierre Nguyen Van Kham, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Vietnam, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hochiminh Ville (Vietnam), assigning him the Titular See of the Diocese of Trofimiana.
Father Pierre Nguyen Van Kham was born on October 2, 1952 in Ha Dong, Archdiocese of Hanoi. In 1954, his family escaped and moved to Saigon. He went to secondary school at the minor seminary in Can Tho, and later studied philosophy at the Seminary of Saint Thomas in Long Xuyen and theology at the Seminary of Saint Joseph in Saigon. He was ordained a priest on August 30, 1980 for the Archdiocese of Hochiminh Ville. He has since ministered as follows: Parish Vicar in Hanoi, Xom Moi (1980-1984); Vicar of the Cathedral in Hochiminh Ville, Professor at Saint Joseph Major Seminary (1987-2001); Pastoral Theology studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a Doctorate degree (2001-2004); Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center, member of the Bishops’ Council, Director of Foreign Students (2004-2008); since 2008 he has served as Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Vietnam (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2008)