austraLasia #2788 Salesian Family Spirituality Days, DB in Vietnam
ROME: 22 January 2011 -- The Salesian Family
worldwide is celebrating Blessed Laura Vicuña today,
and at least from a Roman perspective one has to say that
life is pretty hectic here in Rome, not leaving too much
time for anything else but the immediate - the immediate
being 350 or so people from around the globe in attendance
for the annual Salesian Family Spirituality Days.
While these 'days' do not impinge
immediately on much of EAO, they will, in due course, since
they are all tied in with the Rector Major's Strenna (this
year on vocations and vocation ministry), and much of the
material presented over the 3-4 days of this major event
filter through to the Provinces.
Speaking very much from a personal
perspective, though, it has to be said that without our
region, these days just might not get off the ground - at
least not as they have been planned! It's fine to
bring in people from anywhere around the planet, but in the
end, they need to understand what is being said, things need
to run smoothly, people need to feel 'at home' - and so on!
Take it from me that our Region is crucial to much of this
aspect. Additionally, it is well represented by two of
the 28 Salesian Family Groups, one from Thailand, the other
from Japan, both Sister Congregations founded in those two
countries respectively by Salesians. One of the most
moving features of the 'Spirituality Days' this year have
been the wide-ranging personal testimonies of men and women,
members of the Salesian Family, who have discovered Jesus'
call in a Salesian experience. As readers would
certainly know already, all this material is added, day by
day, to the subsite for the Salesian Family Spirituality
Days available from the www.sdb.org home page.
DB in VIETNAM
personal account written by Fr Them "17-18 January were reserved for Salesian Houses and
Parishes of Xuan Hiệp and Tam Hai. 18 January was reserved
for the Salesian Houses and Parishes at Ben Cat, Binh Minh,
Can Gio, Cau Bong, Tan Thinh, Cau Lon, Hoc Mon and Binh
Chanh. Many young and adult parishioners and the Salesians
came to Xuan Hiep to visit Don Bosco and to pray before his
Casket. Each Group had two hours of pilgrimage: one hour for
prayer and contemplation and one hour for Mass. Confessions
from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm. The pilgrimage day concluded at
11:00 pm.
We reserved two hours of pilgrimage in the evening, January
18, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for the Mongolian Group including
Bishop Wenceslaus Padilla, Bishop of Ulaanbaatar, Fr. Andrew
Tin, Superior of the Salesian Delegation in Mongolia. Bishop
Wenceslaus presided at the Mass in Mongolian and gave the
homily in English.
On 19 January, the morning was reserved for the parents of
Salesians and Major Superiors. Bishop Joseph Tiem, Bui Chu
Diocese, presided at the Mass.
The afternoon was reserved for the Salesian Past Pupils
Federation and the Salesian Cooperators.
The people who came to visit Don Bosco grew in numbers as
the days went by. Many people came to Xuan Hiep very day. I
met one of them who told me: 'There will be no other
opportunity. Therefore I have to visit Don Bosco as often as
possible!'.
The morning of January 20 was reserved for the Salesians.
Nearly 200 gathered around Don Bosco for their Retreat, in
which Fr. Joseph Anh shared three particular events in Don
Bosco's life: his dream when he was nine years old, his
acceptance of the first oratorian (Bartholomew Garelli), and
the first missionary send-off. At the Mass, Fr. Joseph Hung,
Provincial, stressed the call to holiness: 'each Salesian
should become a pastor of holiness'.
The apex of these days of pilgrimage was the afternoon of
January 20: reserved for the young. More than five thousand
young people came from different places, even far away (200
or 300 kilometers). Additionally, there were more than 5,000
who came to Xuan Hiep to visit Don Bosco. Most had to remain
outside for lack of room. The Mass was celebrated by the
Cardinal Archbishop of Hochiminh City. Bishops Wenceslaus
and Peter De, Bishop of Thai Binh, were concelebrants.
Bishop Peter De gave the homily. During the Mass, there was
a special ceremony: 8 new candidates submitted their
applications for Missions “ad
gentes”.
The night of January 20 was the last night for Don Bosco’s
Casket at Xuan Hiep. Therefore the people were allowed to
“watch” with Don Bosco until midnight. And some slept there
overnight so that in the early morning of January 21, they
would be able to attend the Mass and the Ceremony of handing
over.
After the Mass in the early morning of January 21, the
Ceremony of handing over of the Don Bosco Casket to the FMA
at Tam Ha was celebrated by Father Joseph Hung, Provincial.
There was a group of the FMA took part, among them the
Sister Provincial. Don Bosco's Casket left Xuan Hiep
Salesian House and arrived at FMA Tam Ha on schedule.
According to our schedule, Don Bosco's Casket will go to
Phuoc Loc Community and Parish on 22 January. On 23 January,
to Duc Huy Community and Parish. On 24 January, to Dalat and
remain there until the 30th. Early on January 30, the Casket
goes to Ba Thon Novitiate and Parish and remains there until
1st of February.
I believe that during this time of grace, many people have
received so many graces through the intercession of Don
Bosco. Among them there are vocations, because in one
request letter of prayer that I had the chance to read, one
mother ask Don Bosco to help her son follow Don Bosco". _________________ AustraLasia
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