5697(I)_VIN: Mid-Autumn festivities at opening of DBYC Pastoral Ministry Year
Don Bosco Cat Dam, Vietnam North Delegation (VIN), 22 September 2021 –- On Tuesday 21 September 2021, Don Bosco Cat Dam Youth Center celebrated the Mid-autumn festival for children (15 August on Lunar Calendar) as a tradition of some Asian countries. It is known as children’s TET Holiday in Vietnam.
Due to the pandemic, only some small activities were available. Some moon cakes and drinks were given to boys and girls after the “Good Evening Talk” around 5pm. Unlike last year when there was a night of music, performance, sharing and dances, this year, they enjoyed a short time of sharing some suggested thoughts for a better life from Fr. Joseph Trung Hoan SDB, who is responsible for the Don Bosco Cat Dam Youth Center.
In Vietnam, the beginning of September is also the opening of the new academic year for students. To accompany their school life, Don Bosco Cat Dam Youth Center held football matches among 4 teams made up of boys attending activities at the center on Sunday 19 September 2021. After the “Good Morning Talk” from the Rector of Don Bosco Cat Dam, they started their friendly football matches at 7am. Matches ran for 5 hours through the day.
Before the family lunch, the expressive award ceremony for the winners of the football games took place in a happy and joyful atmosphere. As the Head of Don Bosco Cat Dam Youth Center, Fr. Trung Hoan announced the personal prizes of goal keeper and excellent footballer as well as the second and Champion Teams.
Fr. Phung Linh, SDB vice-rector of Don Bosco Cat Dam community offered some words and a prayer before lunch. At the end of the family day they were reminded that the Salesians were still accompanying them for the new school year, with learning and sharing the theme of the Rector Major’s Strenna 2022: “Do all through love, nothing through constraint” (St Francis de Sales).
