HCM City: 19 December 2010 -- Two years after the
Mission Councillor's (Fr Klement) first visit to Vietnam in
that capacity, he has returned to lead five full days of
animation in that province, given the fact that there are
already 61 Vietnamese Salesian missionaries at work around
the world.
The visit (which actually took place in
November, but you will appreciate that your correspondent is
still catching up with major news items after a month's
lay-off for health reasons!) focused on two separate
presentations of the 7th Mission Day celebrations in
Vietnam, one at Dalat (300 km from Ho Chi Min City, 150
participants) and the other at the Provincial House in Xuan
Hiep, HCM City (300 took part there). These events involved
all young Salesians in initial formation, along with
representatives from every community and the seven Salesian
Family groups.
The Provincial Commission presented
something on all 61 missionary confreres: their country of
destiantion, new frontiers in the Centre and North of
Vietnam where the province is founding new presences
patiently, especially amongst ethnic groups, from Kontum to
Lam Son. Novices and postnovices both presented a simple
theatrical item on mission ad gentes.
At the conclusion of each of these
Provincial Mission Day events room was offered for thanks to
the parents of 75 missionaires ad gentes, who had come to
Dalat and Xuan Xiep.
The Province mission animation
commission, led by the vice provincial, Fr Thomas Long, also
the Rector of the Postnovitiate at Dalat, has carried out an
evaluation of the discernment, preparation and accompaniment
of young missionaries who have gone out since 1999 from the
Province, and who are now spread across 5 continents. This
meeting has emphasised in particular the need for greater
teamwork amongst each sector of the Salesian mission (YM,
SC, Missions) and Formation, particularly mission formation
for young confreres. Gradually they hope to begin a
Volunteer experience and something for other youth groups.
The visit to the four formation houses
(33 prenovices, 39 novices, 56 postnovices, 39 theology
students) and meetings with 550 aspiring young university
students were carried out in dialogue form with the
Councillor. Some of their questions included:
What difficulties are the (Vietnamese) missionaries facing
abroad? And how to face them?
If I fulfill the basic conditions for a missionary vocation,
at what moment (stage of formation) should I decide?
What is the advantage of the Salesian Brother's presence in
the missions?
Why does the Salesian always want to be a missionary ad
gentes and not missionary at home? (a prenovice's question!)
Your personal feelings, when starting out on missionary life
in Korea; how did you feel God’s call?
In our situation of atheism and materialism in Vietnam what
advice can you offer us? How can we face these two
realities?
After some years missionaries get tired and want to come
back. What to do?
If the vocational and missionary culture is a main dynamic
of the Church, why are the more mature consecrated Salesians
not more serious about their missionary call and why are the
majority of the missionaries leaving after the
post-novitiate and not later on?
I have zeal for the missions, but I’m not sure about my
missionary call, it’s about 50:50. Why not a trial period,
to test it out for few years to verify my missionary call?
Some missionaries return after facing difficulties, it’s
sad. How we can send lay
people as
missionaries, it’s not about escape?
To be amongst the people, inculturated in the local
situation is very important for the missionary's
credibility. Some concrete steps for the path of
inculturation?
The mission is not only to bring the Gospel to poor
countries with social development, education. What about the
mission in a country like the Netherlands?
Salesian Brothers are more suitable for the missions in some
situations, are making difference. Can you share with us
what is their advantage?
What is more urgent, ad gentes mission abroad or mission
amidst our own, our own people?
(About Project Europe? There is no deep understanding,
explaining the main goals and motivations).
At the conclusion of one of the events, a missionary's
mother had this to say: “We offered our children to God, and
the Salesian superiors care about them. We are very happy to
be part of the family, we are proud of our sons and we pray
for them daily, because they are contributing to the growth
of the Church worldwide”.
Countries where the 61 Vietnamese missionaries are present
(2010, November)
Africa – Angola, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Middle East (MOR)
Asia – Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Mongolia, China – Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Bangladesh, Pakistan
Europe – France, Hungary, Italy (including Lituania),
Albania,
America – Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Paraguay, Mexico
Oceania – Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands) _________________
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