Lovers of the Holy Cross
Encyclopedia
The Lovers of the Holy Cross (French
: Amantes de la Croix de Jésus-Christ, Vietnamese
: Dòng Mến Thánh Giá, Thai
: คณะรักกางเขน) is a Roman Catholic female congregation, founded in 1670 by the first vicar Apostolic in Tong-king and Cochin China Pierre Lambert de la Motte
. By 2002 statistics, it has about 4822 members.
It is the first female religious congregation to be distinguished by its East Asian characteristics, both contemplative and apostolic
, and created in Vietnam. During its 335 years of existence, the Lovers of the Cross community, went through various trials and tribulations : persecutions, disasters, wars and changes of political regimes.
There are currently 24 communes of the Lovers of the Cross nuns of Vietnamese origin of which one is in the United States
. Three of them are in Thailand
and two others in Laos
.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Amantes de la Croix de Jésus-Christ, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
: Dòng Mến Thánh Giá, Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
: คณะรักกางเขน) is a Roman Catholic female congregation, founded in 1670 by the first vicar Apostolic in Tong-king and Cochin China Pierre Lambert de la Motte
Pierre Lambert de la Motte
Pierre Lambert de la Motte was a French bishop. He was a founding member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society and became a missionary in Asia.-Life:...
. By 2002 statistics, it has about 4822 members.
It is the first female religious congregation to be distinguished by its East Asian characteristics, both contemplative and apostolic
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
, and created in Vietnam. During its 335 years of existence, the Lovers of the Cross community, went through various trials and tribulations : persecutions, disasters, wars and changes of political regimes.
There are currently 24 communes of the Lovers of the Cross nuns of Vietnamese origin of which one is in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Three of them are in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and two others in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.