During the events of ‘75, the Brothers were confused. After April 30 it was quite difficult to know who was still alive, who had fled overseas, and who had left the Congregation. It took over a week for the communities to gradually return to normal. It was really sad, even discouraging, to know that the remaining members of the District were counted less than 100 Brothers and 3 novices. Before the events, the District had counted more than 300 Brothers.
Since the "iron curtain" had dropped down and the family-register system had been strictly observed, the communication among families was difficult, much more difficult among religious communities within the country. It was extremely difficult, not to say impossible to communicate with overseas.
People who had been working with or for foreigners, especially with/for the USA, e.g. translators, were watched more closely. The Religious Orders, especially the international orders, were not out of the controlling orbit. To avoid difficulties with the new government, Brother Lucien, Visitor, had successfully informed, by way of underground, the Brothers who had fled overseas to "Not correspond by any means to the District, even to the Brothers who are now in Vietnam, until new regulations are set."
Vietnamese people had been familiar with bombs and rocket explosions for many decades. Their lives had been unstable, economically and psychologically speaking. Young people used to live each day without any idea or plan for tomorrow. "Que Sera Sera" would be a better expression to describe such a mentality and behavior of these generations from the French colonization since the end of the 19th century. People, in their thirties or older, who were, in fact, at the highest point of experiencing ups and downs, distresses and challenges in their daily lives, had to confront, again, this change of the life-style.
The life of the Christian Brothers Communities composing of three generations, who had still been, after the events of ‘75, in such a historical and social background, might demonstrate the images about the challenging diversity of this life-style:
1. The pre-Vatican II generation composed of the Brothers who, in their sixties or older, had been influenced by the French culture;
2. The Vatican II generation composed of the Brothers who, in their forties and fifties, had been influenced by both the French and American cultures;
3. The younger generation composed of the Brothers who, in their thirties or younger, had been influenced by the American culture.
Political repression that had been imposed to the Vietnamese people in general, to the La Salle Communities in particular, led many people to an inevitable, both collective and individual, psychosomatical behavior .
Could the La Salle charisma, i.e. Religious, Community, and Education Service of young people, stand firm in such a society, now and in the future?