Fr. Lac Pham( center, second row) with members of his training class at Mercy Center
Sabbatical: A Time of Transition by Fr. Lac Pham, c. pp. s., Director of Initial Formation
I am grateful to the community and province leadership for having granted me a year of sabbatical, which began in July 2015. A sabbatical was what I badly needed to repair the body, regain some mental balance, refill some spiritual vacuum, and catch up with some readings— a routine that I had long abandoned. During a visit with the provincial in 2014 I requested a sabbatical— though was willing to stay a couple more years in the Vietnam Mission until the native c. pp. s. members returned, as they had only one or two more years to complete their studies in the United States. However, I barely had enough physical and mental energy to maintain the status quo of the Mission. The provincial and I mutually agreed that I would take the sabbatical starting in 2015. The goal was to self-introspect so as to assess my thus far lived-experiences, in order that I could be refreshed and energetic enough to transition into a new assignment.
After the 2015 Provincial Assembly, I preached several mission appeals in the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese on behalf of our Vietnam Mission. In the latter half of July, I went to the Mercy Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a two-week workshop for vocation / formation providers.( At this time it was not quite clear what my next assignment would be.) Then the three-month sabbatical program followed. After Christmas break I returned to the Mercy Center for a three-month training in spiritual direction. The gathering of c. pp. s. Formators in Salzburg, Austria in the last week of July 2016 capped off my year of sabbatical.
In hearing that I was returning to the u. s. for sabbatical, some friends e-mailed to congratulate me— and extended their long standing invitation to come visit them since I“ will have a year long furlough, free of responsibilities, free to travel wherever my whims desire, and free to do nothing.” It was not so! Events planned for the sabbatical year were full and structured enough to keep me from free-floating.
Following the 2015 Provincial Assembly I began reintegrating back into u. s. living. It should have been a breeze. Since 1996 I had been returning to the u. s. for all annual provincial assemblies but one. So I was not really completely estranged from the u. s. culture. And I thought I did very well adjusting back and forth all those years, while maintaining sufficient movements back and forth. But up to now, I am still in a slow progress of reintegration. I see, hear, and act in different ways than I remember of myself. I used to prize myself as a“ bridge” between cultures. Now I find myself in the middle of an unidentifiable culture( s)— or, no known culture in particular, if you will.
During seminary days I heard stories of missionaries who in returning to their original cultures had difficulties adjusting back. I could not understand that. For a continued on page 7
February 2017 • The New Wine Press • 5