Create more enthusiasm for the Salesian Mission: The Rector Major visits to Salesian Family in Viet Nam (2)

By Our Own Correspondent

HCM City, Vietnam, 21 February 2017 -- The whole morning time of the first full day of Rector Major's visit in Vietnam was dedicated to the meeting with the Provincial Council of Vietnam - Mongolia (Province of St. John Bosco). Only one Provincial councilor was absent (Delegate of Mongolia, Fr. Paul Leung - who is now presiding the Mongolia Delegation Mini-Chapter in Ulanbaatar).

During the three hours long meeting the Successor of Don Bosco shared with the Provincial, his Vicar, Economer and with other 7 councilors about the real situation of the provincial community. With many young confreres still in initial formation and large number of candidates and in the same time with not-so many apostolic works apart of the parishes this province presents a variety of great gifts and challenges as well.

Very open, frank and deep sharing help the Rector Major to touch the pulse of the 300 Salesians dynamic provincial community (60 Salesian Brothers, 42 confreres abroad for studies or mission, more than 100 confreres in initial formation, 11 novices and 50 prenovices).

Among the emerging points important for the future of the Salesian Charism were:

• Need to work together on the true Salesian vision about life and mission shared by all confreres. It does need long term process and patient, step by step approach. The speed is not important, a deeper vision does matter.


• Need of consistent animation that involves all confreres. Is more important to guarantee the common vision than the fast accomplishment of the 13 points of VIE province Road Map (Rector Major offered in March 2015).


• Importance of practicing the Preventive System of Don Bosco with loving kindness in all of our works.


• Need to build a solid Salesian culture today, that all confreres will fall in love with the Salesian mission for the poor and abandoned youth of Vietnam and Mongolia.


• Need to make sure, that we are not a parish Congregation, but Salesians who focused in every work on the education and faith education of the youngsters especially those most disadvantaged.

The Provincial and his council were happy with many punctual clarifications of Salesian criteria for: discernment of vocations, strengthening the Salesian identity of our 174 Salesian priests, the need of purification of the Salesian life in Vietnam, the need to strengthen the sense of belonging to the provincial community, the importance of step by step mentality in transforming the provincial culture - with planning mentality, working together, animating with example, dialogue and governance.

After council meeting followed a special lunch catered by the Majcen Bistro (Vocation Training Center for cooking and hospitality) in HCM City, the most recent presence of SDB Vietnam, started by an enterprising DB Past Pupils. The presence of 15 young trainees and 12 confreres of Japan province (just finished their spiritual retreat in K'Long) gave to this lunch a very special youthful and international taste.

In the afternoon will follow the gathering of the SDB confreres with Fr. Angel and Salesian Youth Movement Rally with the Eucharist and dynamic Academy in the same Xuan Hiep Provincial House compound.

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