SW News: The Church in Vietnam is mourning the demise of a French missionary who served in the country for many years and helped internally displaced people during the Vietnam War. Fr Jean-Baptiste Etcharren, who was also the superior general of the Paris Mission Society twice, passed away recently at the age of 89.

During the war that led to the unification of North and South Vietnam, Fr Etcharren helped refugees fleeing southward by taking them to Binh Tuy province. Following the fall of Saigon to the communists in 1975, the priest was forced to leave the country by the authorities.

Although he was in Europe, he still continued helping Vietnamese refugees who had fled the country. Upon the invitation of the Vietnamese Church, the priest returned in 2010 with the permission of the authorities and continued to live in Hue. He was always a backbone for the Catholic Community in the country.

Fr. Etcharren was born on April 15, 1932, in Irouléguy, France. In 1958, he was ordained as a priest. In 1986, he was asked to handle a senior position in the congregation and from 1998 to 2010, he was its superior general. Even with this post, his first mission was always to help the Vietnamese Church.

Fr Jean was instrumental in inviting the Bishops of France to Vietnam. The trip was conducted by the then president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of France, Archbishop Joseph Duval. This visit reaffirmed the friendship between the Vietnamese Church and the Church of France.