By Fr. Peter Pham Van Chinh, SBD
Provincial Delegate for SC

      Provincial House, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, 11 April 2021 – At 10 o’clock on Sunday morning 11 April 2021, Fr. Provincial Joseph Nguyen Van Quang presided at the mass for presenting the missionary crosses to four brothers at the provincial house located in Thu Duc district, Ho Chi Minh city.

       Co-celebrants in the mass were the Vice-provincial Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Am, Fr. Ngo Ba Cong, provincial delagate for missions, some provincial councillors, some Salesian confreres. Present were the parents of the four missionaries, their relatives and friends.

       In his homily, Fr. Provincial mentioned the presence and transforming power of the risen Christ. He let His disciples see and touch the wounds on His body which had really died from the suffering and crucifixion but the Father had raised him up. This is the Gospel the Church and in particular the Salesian missionaries have been proclaiming and will still continue to proclaim to all peoples in the world, especially to young people who are beneficiaries of the Salesian charism.

       After the homily, Fr. Peter Ngo Ba Cong, the provincial delegate for missions, introduced the four missionaries including three brothers and one cleric. Then they in turn went forward to the altar and received the missionary crosses from the provincial which had been blessed by the Rector Major.

       After the communion, a representative of the four expressed their gratitude to the province which has always accompanied them in their missionary vocation. They asked everyone to continue to pray for them in their challenging missionary journeys which they will face in the future.

       Fr. Provincial also said thanks to the missionaries’ parents and relatives for their generosity and accompaniment. He prayed to God to grant them and their families His abundant graces.

       According to the Salesian News Agency (ANS), in this 151st Salesian mission expedition, the Salesian provinces around the world offered 25 missionaries. Africa has sent 12 and received 3; Asia has sent 9 and received 6; Europe has sent 2 and received 2; America has sent 2 and received 8; Oceania has received 6. The Vietnam province has sent 4 confreres to missions ad gentes: two were sent to Taiwan-Hongkong-China province (CIN), one to Japan (GIA) and one to Samoa (Pacific delegation – AUL).

       As a tradition of our Congregation from Don Bosco’s time, the Rector Major will celebrate the send-off mass in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians at Valdocco, Turin. But this year due to the pandemic, the missionary crosses have been blessed by the Rector Major and sent to the provinces that had offered the missionaries for this expedition. The crosses would be given to the missionaries by their corresponding provinces.

• Photos of the event

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