Missionary Animation of the Province of Vietnam
The province's history – its missionary roots
Vietnam Province was given some 50 missionaries in its first 20 years from the time of foundation (1952-1975). After 1976 all
missionaries had to leave the country. Once the difficult years had been overcome, beginning from the 90`s initial formation
stages were set up in the country. From 1999 a few confreres were sent out of the province for Practical Training or to study,
while others went as missionaries ad gentes according to needs seen by the Rector Major.
Valdocco's missionary dynamism
The results of extraordinary missionary generosity can be seen in a growing number of young confreres. The province is in
fact experiencing the “missionary dynamism of Valdocco” of Don Bosco's own time. The more missionaries there were, sent
out to Latin America, the more young people there were who asked Don Bosco if they could join him as Salesians. The whole
initial formation setting offers an original model of missionary formation, setting the hearts of young confreres on fire for
mission ad gentes. This year alone there are some 450 Aspirants at university level, all receiving formation in seven centres
each week, around 40 prenovices, 36 novices and 56 postnovices.
This year too seven postnovices have generously offered themselves to the Rector Major for mission ad gentes. These
candidates to missionary life have had many assistants who are carrying out missionary work in Africa, Asia, Oceania or
Europe. The Provincial Delegate for mission animation is the Rector of the postnovitiate, where a lot of mission information
and formation is on offer. In the 3rd year of the postnovitiate there is a process of discernment offered with regard to the
missionary vocation (which is now the core of a draft version of a discernment process circulating around the Congregation
and which comes out of this experience).
The Provincial newsletter features on a bimonthly basis letters and news items from missionaries, coming in from 5 continents,
and this is a form of literature at provincial level that enthuses and brings new missionary vocations, as was the case at the
time of the magazine Gioventù Missionaria, founded by Fr. Philip Rinaldi in 1923.
Salesian Family Mission Day
One of the key points is the SMD (Salesian Mission Day), an annual event which brings together around 500 members of the
6 Groups of the Salesian Family in the province, and which is animated by the SDBs in formation. As well as the formation part
– conference, presentation of some missionary experiences through theatre, dance and singing – at the final Mass some of
the confreres present their request to be a missionary ad gentes to the Rector Major. The SDB example is closely followed by
the FMA and the first lay missionaries. Parents of missionaries are also part of this celebration, and they meet together to
share the joys and sorrows of their children living in far off lands.
Mission within the Province – ethnic groups and in Mongolia
The Province has its own first evangelisation territory within its own borders (in the Centre and North of the country, amongst
indigenous tribes). Each year some confreres are sent on mission to these ethnic groups in the centre of the country. These
are picked after making a request to be missionaries to the Provincial. Since the Year 2000 the Province has been entrusted
with Mongolia, which now has three international communities – a strategic choice made by the Province – to guarantee a
more effective evangelisation.
Missionary confreres – ad gentes in five continents
After the first ten years two confreres, for health reasons, have returned. One can encounter confreres sent by the Rector
Major in the following mission locations: Oceania - Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands; Asia - Taiwan, South Korea, China -
Hong Kong, Cambodia; Africa – Angola, Chad, Sudan, South Africa, Zambia; America – Peru; Europe - Hungary, Lithuania,
Albania, Italy, France, Middle East.
salesian mission intention for september 2009
«That Salesians in the Myanmar and Thailand provinces (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos) will be open
to renewal by the Word of God and succeed in giving rise to apostolic vocations in their countries»
In South East Asian countries the Church is a tiny minority amongst a Buddhist majority, at times still viewed as a
foreign religion. Christian communities live in a diaspora, with great distances between them. Salesians serve small
Catholic communities and are involved in educational and social works open to young Buddhists. Their daily task
requires that they be strongly anchored in the Word of God, in order to be able to live as missionaries to the young in
their countries .
For the Pope's general and missionary intentions see: www.sdb.org
for suggestions and contributions: cagliero11@gmail.com
