austraLasia #2483

A potpourri of pre, present, post and perpetual!

Despite the literal meaning of 'potpourri' (rotten pot!) we use the term in English to refer to a sweet-scented miscellany. It was the term that came to mind as I needed to bring together some news items that all came in at once - and all have to do with the significants dates of 15th and 16th August, religious professions and the like. A sweet-scented miscellany of vocational fruits!  Please note, then, that there are two separate items below.

Vietnamese Salesian Religious Professions

HCM CITY: 15th August 2009 --  On August 15th, at Xuan Hiep Provincial House, 21 young Vietnamese Salesians made their perpetual profession. Among them there were four missionaries (two in Albania and two in China Province), who had just come back to Vietnam from their Mission.
    On August 14, at Ba Thon Novitiate, 30 young men made their first Religious Profession as Salesians. Among them there were 8 Brothers. With that number of new Salesians, the Vietnamese Province now numbers 344 members ,of whom 125 are priests, 59 are Brothers and 160 are 'Clerics' (Scholastics). Also among them there are 50 Missionaries “ad gentes” (2 in Papua New Guinea, 1 in Solomon Islands, 3 in China Province, 1 in Cambodia, 3 in Mongolia, 4 in Sudan, 4 in Hungary, 3 in Albania, 3 in Lithuania, 3 in the Middle East, 4 in France, 1 in Rome, 2 in Ethiopia-AET, 3 in South Africa, 1 in Cameroon-ATE, 1 in Zambia, 1 in Uganda,  2 in Angola, 1 in Zimbawe, 2 in Peru, 2 in Venezuela-Alto Orinoco, and 2 in Paraguay-Chaco).
    And on August 13, also at Ba Thon Novitiate, 32 new novices began their Year of Novitiate, among them two K’ho Ethnics.
    In an e-mail sent to Viet Nam, the Rector Major had once 'ordered' that the annual number of novices in Vietnam will be not less than 25! But as the former provincial, Fr Them, said penning these lines, "We are happy and grateful to God, to Our Heavenly Mother and to Don Bosco, that until now we still have numeorus vocations to contribute to the Salesian Mission".

New prenovices for FIN, and Salesian Brother conference
 
Canlubang: 16th August 2009 -- Three aspirants were accepted as Prenovices for the FIN province on August 16th, namely Rodil Lladones, April Jerome Quinto and John Clemens Texon.  They were received by Fr. Rolo Alcasid, rector of Don Bosco Seminary, at 10:30 am at the Diocesan Shine of Mary Help of Christians. In his homily, he said the acceptance occurring on the birthday of Don Bosco is but fitting. There is no better gift we can give to our father than the gift of a vocation. He also challenged them to deepen their knowledge of Don Bosco and the Salesian life as they continue to discern their vocation. They also donned a symbolic prenovitiate cross with the image of the Good Shepherd, their reminder of the immediate preparation for Salesian Life.
    Present were Bishop Peter Nguyen Van De of Xuan Truong, Vietnam, who presided at the Mass concelebrated also by Fr. Eligio Cruz, Provincial of FIN, and other priests. Present also were the parents and relatives of the candidates, the aspirants, some other Salesians from nearby communities and the regular Sunday Mass goers at the Shrine.  
    In the afternoon, Br. George Celis (in charge of Salesian Brother formation) held the regular Salesian Brother conference for the aspirants and postnovices. Together with him were brothers from FIN, FIS and ITM. The brothers shared their vocation stories which in different ways allowed the participants to understand and appreciate more the Salesian Brother vocation.


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Title: australasia 2483
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces VIE, FIN FIS ITM  Professions and Brothers
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2483