Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 30 October 2021 -- At 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at Don Bosco Xuan Hiep Community, the Archbishop of Saigon Archdiocese, Joseph Nguyen Nang, presided over the Mass and the ordination ceremony for 4 candidates for the priesthood and 5 candidates for the diaconate.
Concelebrating at the Mass were Father Provincial, Barnabas Le An Phong, SDB, and 24 Salesian priests in communities in Ho Chi Minh City. Because of the restrictions due to the epidemic, the Mass was only in the presence of the Salesians, without the presence of the parents and families of the candidates as well as other guests. The Mass was streamed live on the youtube channel of the Salesian Don Bosco Province of Vietnam.
In his homily, Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang told the candidates that the responsibility of both deacons and priests was to cooperate with the episcopate to serve the people of God. This was a hard work, so they had to love God’s people in order to be able to fulfill the service. He reminded them to fervently fulfill their responsibilities, to take time to prepare their sermons, and to live what they teach. In particular, their services had to be clothed in the spirit of Jesus, the spirit of service: “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10, 45). This was the spirit the world needs today.
Please continue to join in prayer for the newly ordained deacons and priests, that they are always enthusiastic and faithful in their vocation to serve young people in the way of St. John Bosco.
