By Br. John Pham Hong Phuoc, SDB

Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, 17 January 2020 -- It has been a tradition of the Vietnam Province that the province celebrates the Salesian Family Day on 23 December of the lunar year (and this year it was on 17 January 2020) in a joyful atmosphere when the whole country is celebrating the lunar new year. The Day was a gathering filled with joy and grace with participation of different members of the Salesian Family in Vietnam: SDB, FMA, VDB, ASC (Salesian Cooperators) and EXDB (Don Bosco Alumni)

The participants in the Salesian Family Day this year were welcomed by the Salesian pre-novices' brass band. The joy of meeting one another was shown through fresh smiles on participants’ faces. After the welcome of the brass band, Fr Provincial, Joseph Nguyen Van Quang, shared the Rector Major's 2020 Strenna. Then the FMA novices together with some young people had a nice performance to illustrate the Strenna.

After that Ms. Teresa Tran Thi Minh Thu – coordinator of Vietnam ASC – presented the plan of the EAO Salesian Cooperators Congress which will be organized in Vietnam from 23 to 26 July 2020 with the theme: “Love, live for and serve young people”. Then Mr. Le Huu Phuoc, vice-coordinator, presented a video clip about the 25-year-history of ASC Vietnam.

The atmosphere of new year was warmed up with a program including items by Cooperators, SDB pre-novices, novices and post-novices. After a short break, Fr Provincial celebrated solemnly the holy mass in honor of our father and founder Don Bosco. The family spirit continued to be shared among all participants during lunch after the mass.

Our father Don Bosco wished to unite as many groups in the Church and society as possible to become a family to work in education and for salvation of young people. Salesian Family Day is a very good and special chance for every member of the Salesian Family to study the Rector Major's Strenna, to meet and share our own vocation and mission of loving, serving and living for young people as our father Don Bosco did and bequeathed to us. It is a day where we are able to get to know more about other members of the Salesian Family and their work for young people and to get more zeal and inspiration from others, especially from Don Bosco’s spirituality in order to live better our vocation and work harder for our mission for the young.

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