By Fr. Francis Phuoc, SDB

Dalat, Vietnam, 1 September 2016 -- After the summer time, our Don Rua community at Dalat started new school year 2016 – 2017 in September the 1st. The atmosphere of the day was very joyful and impressive.

The day began with Holy Mass, presided by Fr. Rector Joseph Nguyen Chan Hung to pray for the new academic year. He celebrated the Mass together with the superiors of other congregations, with the professors and all priests of the community. In the homily, Father Joseph insisted on the transformation via self – formation to become holy consacrated men, to be ‘alter Christus’ by praying, by studying and by other works. After the homily, the Professors put the hand on the Bible and profess the faith with credo.

After the Mass, we celebrated the ceremony of opening new school-year. Fr Francis Pham Dinh Phuoc, the Prefect, introduced the list of teaching staff and 52 students of philosophy : 38 SDB confreres; 9 brothers of Congrate congregation and 5 CMC religious. Father Francis also talked about 3 important aspects concerning the process of knowledge formation : Thinking, criticizing and synthesising.

Br Nguyen Guoc Trung, on behalf of all students said something to express the decisive promise of self – formation to become more and more perfect like The Father in heaven.

Then, Father Rector seriously beated the drum traditionally to open new academic year, among the joyful atmosphere of the attendants. The ritual of opening new school year was continued with some songs, displayed by the new students.

The opening day was summed up with an Agape in the family spirit.

We pray God thru the intercession of Mary, The Wise Mother and Teacher, grant his Grace to all professors and students during this academic year.

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