Élisabeth Nguyen Thi Thu Hong shares memories of her brother, Venerable Cardinal Van Thuan

Élisabeth Nguyen Thi Thu Hong shared memories of her brother, Venerable François-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, as the Catholic Church marked the 24th anniversary of the Vietnamese cardinal's death on September 16.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, who is 22 years younger than her brother, recalled an unexpected encounter shortly after his ordination as a priest in Vietnam in June 1953. She entered a confessional without realizing her brother was the priest hearing confessions. When she recognized his voice and asked if he would tell their parents what she had confessed, he told her that while wearing his stole behind the screen, he was Jesus, and she could tell Jesus anything.

She also remembered a childhood moment when her brother babysat her. While walking in a garden, he told her he would soon become a priest and asked how she could help him become a good priest. She promised to pray for him at that time.