Sr. Lucy Duhlian, SSpS, is an Indian missionary of the Holy Spirit (Mother Josepha Region) who arrived in Vietnam last November 2025. She celebrated for the first time the Tết Vietnamese new year.
Q: “Home is where the heart connects.” What made you feel that way in Vietnam?
A: The first time someone spoke to me in Vietnamese and thought I was from here, I smiled quietly. I stood thousands of kilometers away from my homeland in India, yet I don’t feel like a stranger in Vietnam. I felt welcomed. Home is not only where we are born. Home is where hearts connect.
Q: What first made you feel you belonged in Vietnam?
A: Community life first made me feel this belonging. In our community, we come from different countries and cultures, yet prayer unites us beyond language and habits. It reminds me that we are one family before God.
Q: What have you learned about unity in diversity since living here?
A: Living here has taught me that unity in diversity is simple and real. We may come from different countries. Our ways of doing things may differ. The reasons behind our customs may not always be the same. Yet our mindset – our love for family, respect for elders, and devotion to faith – often feels very similar.
Q: You celebrated Tết for the first time. What did you do?
A: I stayed with the family of one of our Sisters and fully participated. Tết marks the Lunar New Year. It is the most important family celebration of the year. People return home, clean their houses, prepare special food, honor their ancestors, greet elders with respect, and begin the year with hope and blessings. Tết is a time of reunion, gratitude, and renewal. I did not just watch – I joined.
Q: What part of Tết touched you the most?
A: One of the most meaningful preparations is the making of sticky rice cakes. I helped prepare them. I learned how to wrap each cake carefully in green leaves and tie it firmly. Every step required patience and attention. Then we boiled the cakes for nearly 10 hours. While we waited, we played lotto with the children, and their joy filled the house.
In my own culture, we also prepare sticky rice for special occasions. We may not wrap it in the same artistic way or cook it for so many hours, yet we understand its meaning. Sticky rice binds grains together. It reminds us to remain united.
Q: You also experienced “Ash Friday.” What happened?
A: The season of Lent usually begins on Ash Wednesday. However, because it fell during Tết, the Church began Lent on Friday instead. For the first time in my life, I experienced Ash Friday. That change moved me deeply. It showed me that the Church walks with the people and respects their important family celebration. It chooses unity. It chooses closeness. Faith and culture stand together.
Q: So after all this, do you feel at home in Vietnam?
A: Far from home, yet truly at home. Living far from my homeland has taught me something beautiful. Unity in diversity is not only about accepting differences. It is about sharing life – around the table, around the fire, and in prayer.
Q7: You are still new to Vietnam – only a few months. This beautiful Tết experience might be part of a “honeymoon stage.” What do you think could be the first real challenge to your feeling of “home” when daily life, misunderstandings, or loneliness appear?
A: Many Vietnamese people think that I am from Vietnam and are often surprised when I say that I am from India. I see this as a special opportunity. It encourages me to take a deeper interest in learning the language and to enter more fully into the everyday life of the people. I feel invited not to remain on the outside, but to become more present in the community—sharing simple moments, building relationships, and growing in understanding. In this way, I hope to belong more naturally and to be part of the life around me.
Q8: Inculturation means more than joining festivals. It means allowing another culture to change you – sometimes uncomfortably. What is one Vietnamese value or practice that you do not fully understand yet, and how might you approach that with an open heart?
A: One Vietnamese value I am still learning to understand is the strong sense of respect for hierarchy and indirect communication in relationships. Sometimes I may not fully understand how feelings or opinions are expressed. I would like to approach this with an open heart by observing carefully, listening more than speaking, and learning from local people with humility and respect.
Q9: Missionaries often say that genuine integration takes years. What is a small, concrete step you plan to take in the coming months – not during a festival, but on an ordinary Tuesday – to move from being a “guest” to truly becoming part of this culture?
A: It’s the one who called me that I relay and drawing strength and peace from him.
I also have tried, and will continue, to keep a positive outlook in everyday life. I feel this helps me too to overcome moments of misunderstanding or loneliness. I know I need to be patient with myself and remain open, allowing myself to slowly adapt and grow in this new environment.
