563 GC25 vice provincial Vietnam - reflection

#563

John Nguyen Van Them, Vice Provincial of Viet Nam, shares his impressions...
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It is the first time I came to
Italy. It is also the first time that I take part in the General Chapter. I have many impressions.
First of all, I feel the Salesian World closer : from the Chapter Members, I can know more the Salesian Work all over the world. And then, every time I meet a confrere coming from different salesian province or from different nation, such as
Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Uruguay, Brasil, Peru, Central Africa, East Africa, Congo, Ethiopie, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Myanmar, Sry Lanka, Papua New Ghinea, etc., I feel very happy.
I would like to take part actively in the Chapter in listenning, in speaking, even in reflecting in Group discussions, in Commission Meeting and in the Chapter Assembly.
One of the issues that I have payed much attention is that the decrease of the Vocatons and of the Confreres. I hope that this General Chapter will give new impulse in all the Salesian Communities in their Fraternal life, in their Evangelical Witness and in their Animating Presence among the young so that the number vocations and confreres will increase in the coming six years.
I entrust all my expectations in the hand of Mary Help of Christains, Mother of Don Bosco and of the Congregation.

Fr John Baptist Them,
Delegate of Don Bosco Viet Nam Province
<jbthemsdb@yahoo.com>

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Thinking aloud is a private initiative that seeks to share impressions among English-speaking participants at a time when the Chapter is at its peak.
It is a response to a query from confreres back in the provinces: 'Can't our delegates tell us what they think ?'
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