AUSTRALIA: JESUIT CELLARS SUPPLY VIETNAMESE CHURCHES

Cath News report: The Jesuit Sevenhill Cellars winery in South Australia has negotiated a deal to supply sacramental wines across Vietnam.
The Major Religious Superiors Conference of Vietnam is seeking to remedy the high cost and scarcity of sacramental wine for its more than 3,000 communities, reports UCA News. There are over 15,000 Religious who are members of the 180 recognized congregations in Vietnam.
"This meets a vital and urgent need for us in Vietnam," says Jesuit Father Thomas Vu Quang Trung, head of the local Major Religious Superiors Conference.
"The cost of sacramental wine has risen sharply in the last two years due to two factors: the removal of a Vatican subsidy to support our purchase of Mass wine and the imposition of new government taxes on wine," added the former provincial superior of Jesuits in Vietnam.

"One bottle of Mass wine retails for US$25," he pointed out.
Under the agreement, Sevenhill Cellars will provide Mass wine for all Religious communities, with requirements ordered at a single time for amounts that the communities nominate as their annual quota. Distribution will be done in association with the communities to keep costs as low as possible.
"With the cooperation of conference of major superiors, we are able to take out our costs of promotion and sales so that we can pass on the savings to the communities," says Neville Rowe, General Manager of Sevenhill Cellars.
"We do similar things for dioceses and congregations all over Asia and the Pacific and we're pleased now to be offering this service to the Religious of Vietnam."
"Sevenhill is the last remaining Jesuit owned vineyard in the world," Rowe added. "In the countries of Asia, where little wine is produced and often the cost of importing wine is prohibitive, we can provide a special service to the Church that goes right to the heart of our mission as a winery." http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=23712

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