5426(III)_Here I am Lord, send me (Isaiah 6:8)

Annual Retreat of the Vietnam Province

July 21, 2020

By Br. John Pham Hong Phuoc, SDB

K’Long Retreat House, Lam Dong, Vietnam, 21 July 2020 –- Fr. Joseph Nguyen Thinh Phuoc, the EAO regional councillor celebrated the holy masss to end the annual retreat of the 4th batch at 5 a.m. in the main chapel at K’Long retreat house. The renewal of vows was after the homily and the singing of the ‘Te Deum’ was after holy communion.

The retreat was from 15 to 21 July 2010. The preacher for this batch was Fr. Barnabas Le An Phong, the rector of the Salesian Theologate of the Vietnam province. His talks were about consecrated vocation, particularly the Salesian vocation based on the Holy Bible and Salesian constitutions. He devoloped his thoughts around formation, services and renewal of the Salesian vocation. He enriched his talks with his personal experiences especially his experiences of GC 28.

There are 6 batches for the annual retreat of this year. Batch 1 was from 23 to 29 of June, batch 2 from 2 to 8 July, batch 3 from 5 to 11 July, batch 4 from 15 to 21 July, and the last batch will be from 7 to 13 August which is for all brothers in temporary vows including brothers in postnovitiate, practical training and some students of theology.

There is still a special batch of the superiors and all rectors of the Vietnam province and the North Vietnam delegation in August. The Vietnam province has invited Fr. Pascual Chavez to be the preacher of the annual retreat 2020 for the superiors and rectors, but because of corona virus pandemic he will be not able to come. He has sent all the talks he had prepared to Fr. Joseph Am the vice provincial of the Vietnam province.

The 3rd batch was held at the convent of the Benedictine sisters in Ho Chi Minh city, while all the others were/will be held in K’Long retreat house of the Salesians.

The annual retreat is the time of grace and renewal of Salesian vocation as the article 91 of our constitutions writes: “Our will for conversion is strengthened in the monthly recollection and in the annual retreat. These are occasions of spiritual renewal which Don Bosco considered the fundamental part and the synthesis of all the practices of piety. For the community and every Salesian these are privileged moments for listening to the Word of God, discerning his will and purifying our hearts. These times of grace restore to our spirit a deep unity in the Lord Jesus and keep alive in us the expectation of his return.”

May God through the intercession of Mother Mary and Don Bosco bless our congregation and young people through holy and zealous Salesians.