austraLasia #2024
Vietnam's 5th Missionary Day response to the 'ad gentes' appeal
HCM City: 8th November 2008 -- The Provincial House at Xuan
Xiep, HCM City saw, on Friday 7th November, an extraordinary gathering
of 300 SDBs, novices and prenovices, plus a further 30 members of the
Salesian Family (FMA, VDB, SCs) and 40 parents of current missionaries
'ad gentes'. What brought this huge group together was the Fifth
Vietnam Province Missionary Day, prepared by the province
missionary animation commission headed by Fr Joseph Tuan, the Rector of
the Dalat post novitiate community. He was assisted by all four
formation houses in the province.
The by now annual event is a particular way of
praying for Salesian Family missionaries from Vietnam - no fewer than
50 of them at the moment including 40 SDBs, 9 FMAs and 1 lay person -
and to encourage new missionaries 'ad gentes'.
On this occasion the event was graced by the
presence of the Missions Councillor, Fr Klement, who is no stranger to
the Province, obviously. He gave thanks for the extraordinary
outpouring of missionary fervour in this province, made possible by the
great growth in vocations. The great number of Vietnamese Salesian
missionaries began in 1999. 42 of the 50 have been sent since that
date, to 17 countries around the world.
Fr Klement spoke of the heart of Don Bosco the
missionary, and the expression of the Da mihi animas in missionary
fervour in the Congregation since 1875. He reminded his listeners (the
entire province!) of the appeal of the Rector Major during the 139th
missionary expedition, where 15 of the 28 missionaries were from
Vietnam, for an extraordinary 140th expedition in 2009.
The Provincial, Fr Them, further challenged the
listeners and seemed prepared to go as far as accepting God's will
should an entire batch of post novices offer themselves! Between
himself and Fr Klement they fielded many practical questions on matters
such as language preparation, working to inspire the 450 university
students in Salesian care with missionary fervour, and how to maintain
missionary fervour all year long rather than just on specific occasions
like this day.
Two other important events took place that day - a
Eucharist celebrated by the provincial in the parish church, during
which 5 candidates presented their applications for the missions, and
an historic first gathering of 40 plus parents of SDB missionaries
abroad with the Missions Councillor, Formators and Mission
animation Delegate for the province.
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Title: australasia 2286
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces VIE missionary fervour
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2286
