The journey is going on!
HCM City, Vietnam, 29 April 2017 -- 42 years ago a variety of small, humble, poor and mainly rural parishes in Vietnam became the first opportunity for the young Vice-province a good chance of survival and also as contribution to the local Church in difficulties. At the moment we find about 32 different parishes entrusted to the Salesians in 15 different dioceses (7 in the North, 2 in the Highlands, 6 in the South)
What are the special traits of our Vietnam Salesian parishes?
Large variety of situations, in the Southern part of the country the huge domestic migration changes very fast the social and parish landscape with thousands of young worker families. Some parishes near Ho Chi Minh City started with few hundreds and now they struggle to absorb ten thousand of newcomers. We have some family-like parish communities with 200 Catholics, 5000+ large parish communities composed of the migrants, there are also ethnic minority missionary parishes in the highlands with many chapels as well the very traditional popular religiosity in the North.
Usually the parish life is busy in the early morning (weekday Mass at 4:30 or 5:00 AM) and then in the evening (7:00 PM Eucharist). The ordinary parish council comprises usually a 6 persons core group and other 60 zone and association leaders, most of the parish activities is concentrated on the sacramental life and related catechesis (marriage is well prepared since 17 years of age) and also the children catechesis until 16 years of age is quite strong. A special Eucharistic Youth Movement in the Vietnamese Church celebrates this year 100th anniversary, with hundreds of members in each parish.
How does change the face of the Salesian parishe in Vietnam?
Under a clear direction of the province there is clear move towards outreaching ministry and more social and development ministry open also to the non Catholics, like - Oratory (sports, music, English and other classes), non formal school for the non-registered migrants children without an access to the local public schools. Usually our parishes are a good model for the closeness to the people and family spirit.
What are the new frontiers of the Vietnam Salesian parish?
First of all Salesians try to return to the Salesian community that is entrusted with the parish ministry and leave behind the one-man-director of the parish priests. Young Catholics are slowly but surely drifting from the Church community, the social influence, video-games addiction or drugs, heavy load of the school and tuition duties and lack of catechists are the main challenges shared by most of our parish councils.
The new frontiers of the parishes are connected to the Oratory in various forms, to the formation of our youth leaders and lay people, to the growth of Salesian Cooperators and other Salesian Family groups. The challenges of the young call for an effective cooperation of many people.
Quo Vadis the Salesian parish?
Each among the 90 Salesian provinces in the world has a special history and specific traits of the Salesian mission and charism. We know some 'school' provinces, some 'Oratory' provinces, some 'Vocation Training Center' provinces, some 'Youth in need work' province or 'Parish' provinces. Our experience is telling us that more variety of different expression in the Salesian ministry makes our charism stronger and our life and mission more dynamic. We congratulate to the Salesians of Vietnam for their courageous journey to diversify their mission starting from their 32 parishes. The journey is going on!
