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NEW CONSUL GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES IN HO CHI MINH CITY VISITS CAO DAI HOLY SEE IN TAY NINH

NEW CONSUL GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES IN HO CHI MINH CITY VISITS CAO DAI HOLY SEE IN TAY NINH

Updated 2026-05-21 08:27:18

(News from Tay Ninh Holy See, May 19, 2026 – Report and photos by CaodaiTV)

At 3:15 PM on May 19, 2026, a delegation from the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, led by the new Consul General, Melissa A. Brown, arrived at Tay Ninh Holy See. Accompanying the Consul General were Mr. Eric Borgman – Political Attaché, Ms. Jessica Yurcheshen – Consular Officer, and Mr. Le Minh Tri, Interpreter of the Consulate General.

Welcoming the delegation at the Papal Hall were His Eminence Cardinal Thượng Tám Thanh – Chairman of the Cao Dai Sacerdotal Council, His Eminence Archbishop Thái Côn Thanh, and other dignitaries from the Caodai Sacerdotal Council. Also in attendance, representing Tay Ninh province were Mr. Tran Minh Nay, Deputy Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religion of Tay Ninh province, and other officials from the same agency.

During the meeting, the Consul General shared her admiration for the unique architecture of the Holy Temple and expressed her desire to learn more about the philosophy of Cao Dai religion. His Eminence Cardinal Thuong Tam Thanh warmly introduced the history of the Cao Dai community's formation and its social contributions both domestically and internationally. Following this, His Eminence Cardinal Thuong Tam Thanh and the Consul General exchanged commemorative gifts.

According to the U.S. Embassy website in Vietnam, Melissa A. Brown assumed the role of Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in August 2025. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Melissa served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 2021 to 2024, leading on U.S. policy for Southeast Asia. Previously, she was Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., at the U.S. Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy Singapore. Melissa’s earlier overseas diplomatic assignments include: Jakarta, Indonesia; Port Louis, Mauritius; and Bangkok, Thailand. In Washington, she also served on the Vietnam Desk and was detailed to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). A graduate of Georgetown University, Melissa grew up in New Jersey and Jakarta, Indonesia. She has studied Vietnamese, Indonesian, French, Khmer (Cambodian), and Hungarian. Melissa and her husband have two children.

During her visit to the Holy Temple, under the warm welcome and guided tour by Archbishop Ngoc Hong Thanh - General Manager of the Office of the Principal Archbishop of the Confucius branch as well as Minister of the Interior of the Sacerdotal Council, Consul General Melissa A. Brown wrote in the guest book at the Tay Ninh Holy See the following meaningful message:

May 19, 2026

It was a great honor to visit the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh, one of Vietnam's most iconic religious sites. I had the privilege to meet Cardinal Thuong Tam Thanh and learn about Cao Dai philosophy and history, as well as the community's contributions to Vietnamese society. Religious freedom remains a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and an important element in the U.S.-Vietnam partnership.

I am grateful for your generous and welcoming approach. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Melissa A. Brown

Consul General, U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City

The visit concluded successfully at 4:20 PM on the same day. The presence of a high-ranking diplomat like Ms. Melissa A. Brown at the Holy See in Tay Ninh not only demonstrates concern for religious freedom but also serves as evidence of efforts to build cultural bridges and strengthen mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.

Here are some images from the visit: