Bien Hoa, Vietnam, 25 April 2021 -- From 6 p.m. on Tuesday 20 April to 4 p.m. Wednesday 21 April 2021, a gathering of young people from the Salesian Youth Movement of Salesian parishes in Ho Chi Minh city and Dong Nai province was held at Don Bosco Tan Cang community, Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province, around 30 kms from Ho Chi Minh city.

Followed the theme of the Rector Major’s Strenna 2021, the theme of this gathering was “Young people live hope in today’s world”.

There were 280 young people from 9 Salesian parishes in Ho Chi Minh city and Dong Nai province who joined this event and were divided into 12 teams. Present from the beginning were Fr John Chrysostom Pham Ngoc Truong – Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry, Fr Peter Pham Huy Hoang the head of SYM committee and together with other two members, Fr John the Baptist Do Van Tien and Fr Bosco Vu Tien Dung.

Fr Provincial, Joseph Nguyen Van Quang, presided at the 6 a.m. mass on Wednesday with the concelebration of the Provincial-elect, Fr Barnabas Le An Phong, the new Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry, Fr Peter Nguyen Viet Quang Minh, the present priests and the priest of Tan Cang community.

In his homily Fr Provincial suggested and guided the young participants to live hope and become witnesses of hope for today’s world in their own living environment and context.

All participants took part zealously and seriously with youthfulness and creativity in the different activities including programs, games, seminar-workshops, Taize prayer and mass.

Hopefully all the young participants of this event will always live hope in faith and joy and to become witnesses to hope for other youth and people in their own living, studying and working environments.