3004 Fr Bregolin amidst the (friendly) lions and dragons in Vietnam
austraLasia #3004
Fr Bregolin amidst the (friendly) lions
and dragons in Vietnam
HO CHI MINH
CITY --
They were the dying moments of the long Tet (New Year)
festivities in
Vietnam, but there was still enough festivity in the air to
ensure that
Fr Adrian Bregolin and his secretary Fr Saimy Ezhanikatt
(well, that's
how he writes it but not how he pronounces it - we'll stick to
Saimy!)
got a traditional and warm welcome after their long flight
from Rome on
28 January.
To
be honest, there were no dragon and lion dances at the
airport, just a
simple welcome ceremony from a group of the Salesian Family
including,
naturally, the Provincial, Fr Tran Hoa Hung (Joseph) and a
number of
other Salesians. The FMA Provincial was also there,
Cooperators, Past
Pupils..
The visitors went to Xuan Hiep, an
extensive Salesian complex which includes the Provincial
House,
responsibility for as many as five parishes (Ha Noi, Duc Le,
Duong A,
Xuan Hiep, Tam Hai), a parish trade teaching centre, and a
large
formation community - a theologate with upward of 40 members.
On
29 January Fr Bregolin celebrated Mass in honour of St John
Bosco at
the Xuan Hiep Parish where a thousand faithful were in
attendance.
Interestingly enough, the majority of these were young workers
from the
north and centre of the country. Fr Bregolin used the occasion
to speak
to them of Don Bosco's dream when he was just 9 years of age,
and the
motto which he personally lived by throughout his lifetime -
Work and
Temperance. He expressed his joy at seeing so many young
people at the
morning Mass.
The dragon and lion dances did eventually take place, but at
Ben Cat,
where there is a thriving parish, oratory, a vocational centre
and
otehr activities for young in need.
By now Fr Bregolin would be in Dalat. Here again we have a
parish and
oratory and vocational centre (meaning preparation of
youngsters for
work, trades) but Dalat is also the Postnovitiate. The entire
community
holds as many young Salesians as many provinces have in total,
so
fruitful has been the growth in vocations in recent years. Fr
Bregolin
will meet the Salesian Family in the highlands and celebrate
Mass again
in honour of St John Bosco.
The visitors will leave Vietnam to return to Rome early on 3
February.
In the meantime they will return to HCM for a major gathering
of the
Salesian Family on the Feast of St John Bosco, then time with
the
theology students and the novices on Wednesday 1 February.
