austraLasia #1811

Don Bosco's successor in Vietnam day 3

LAM DONG: 11 April 2007 --  In the morning Mass celebrated with the community at the theologate, the Rector Major shared his reflections on the Readings of the day. Like Peter who had no silver nor gold, yet restored the paralytic to a dignified life in the name of Jesus the Risen Lord, the Salesians have something precious to offer to the young people of today: Our faith in the risen Lord, whom we find in the Word of God and in the Eucharist. Moreover, we find the Lord in the community like the two disciples of Emmaus who went back to the community and were told what had happened to it when they were away: The Lord appeared to them.

    Later, as scheduled, the Rector Major traveled by mini-van to Dalat City where the Post-novitiate is located (300 km from Ho Chi Minh City). More than half way along, the Rector Major and his group stopped at a Salesian Vocational Training Centre where he was warmly welcomed by the six Salesians, seventeen FMA’s, a good number of Salesian Cooperators and alumni in the local area and around two hundred students of the Centre. The Rector Major expressed his happiness to see the good vocational education the Salesians and other groups of the Salesian Family are offering to the young people in the Centre. He congratulated the boys and girls of the Centre for having such a good opportunity to have a dream, to make use of the educational opportunities to improve their life, and best of all, to find God in their life. He committed himself to dedicating his life for the happiness of the young and called on the Salesians, his brothers to do the same.

    Later, another stop at a Salesian Parish which serves a majority of ethnic people of the area was also another occasion to congratulate the Salesians for preserving the ethnic people’s integrity financially and culturally speaking. He expressed his wish that the ethnic community would pay back by their effort to supply vocations to the Salesian society.

    In the late afternoon, the Rector Major arrived at the Post-Novitiate where he was cordially and joyfully welcomed by the community which currently comprises 66 post-novices and nine formators, one of the largest post-novitiate communities in the Region and in the Congregation as well. As is well known, during the past few years, a good number of the post-novices of this community applied for missions and were sent to different parts of the world. In his greeting, the Rector Major insisted that the centre, the core of his trip to Vietnam was the visit to this Post-novitiate. He reminded the audience to remember those confreres who steadfastly remained faithful to the Salesian life and preserve the house in the Salesian control (All other Salesian houses were confiscated by the Government at the end of Vietnam War in 1975). He repeated the purposes of his trip to Vietnam: awakening the fire of zeal in the heart of the confreres so that the latter be able to dedicate themselves totally to the well-being of the young.

    The cultural show after dinner was performed done by different groups: the confreres, the college students, the aspirants and the children of the parish and the ethnic young people. This gathering was another occasion for the Rector Major to appreciate all the parishioners who had helped the Salesians to survive during the difficult years. He then reminded the whole audience of the fascinating events of the Salesian congregation in this year and the years to come: the General Chapter with its specific theme, the beatification of Zeferino Namuncura, the anniversary of the death of Blessed Michael Rua, the beatification of the 63 members martyred. He wished everyone to be proud of belonging to the Salesian Family, a family full of holy members and to try to be one of those holy people.

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