austraLasia #2059

Latest from Vietnam

HCM CITY: 14th February 2008 -- Two separate events mark further signs of growth amongst the Salesian Family in Vietnam.  One of these is the new SDB province website (for years Vietnam has relied on websites built outside the country) at www.donboscovn.org and the other, the formation of a new Federation for Past Pupils of the Salesian Sisters.
    The website is distinctive amongst websites in the region for being offered in two languages, Vietnamese and English.  While it has yet to develop the full range of offerings it would want to provide in due course, the structure is there, including news, documents, photo gallery, even a forum, and at least some of the traditional sectors of the Salesian mission - with more of these to be added no doubt in the future.  One notes immediately the missionary spirit that is a feature of this province; they have begun to list their most recent missionaries.  It is a 'Front Page' site at this stage - often a good way to begin, though as time goes on it will benefit from moving away to more open source approaches.
    The Salesian Sisters, who arrived in Vietnam in 1961, are experiencing extraordinary growth in numbers of Vietnamese girls who enquire and follow through after acceptance into the various stages of formation.  Already in 1975 they had formed a Past Pupils Association as well.  Last December they took the decision to form a Past Pupils Federation with appropriate Statutes, to bring together the increasing number of Past Pupil Unions in the country - five in addition to the first one formed in 1975.  Some of these groups are specific to their roles, one being a group of former catechists, another of girls who attended the oratories, yet another made up of girls who were resident with the Sisters while pursuing university studies.  Some have joined VIDES, the FMA International Volunteer Association.
    The World FMA Past Pupils Confederation will be celebrating its centenary in March with a centennial congress in Turin from 4-9 March. No doubt there will be representation from Vietnam.
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 AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there.  Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org

Title: australasia 2059
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces VIE website, Salesian Family FMA, Past Pupils
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2059