Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hanoi (Fides Service) - Every Salesian community in Vietnam, priests, sisters and lay members, volunteers, friends, benefactors and school pupils celebrates an annual Salesian Day with a special theme and initiatives to talk about Jesus Christ, make known the charisma of Saint John Bosco and socialise.
The Salesian community in Ho Chi Minh City held its Day on 12 November involving about 700 religious, novices, Sisters, Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix, helpers and school pupils. This year the Day focused on the centenary of the birth of Slovenian Salesian Fr Andrej Majcen who came as a missionary to Vietnam. There was a talk on the life and personality of Fr Andrej Majcen whjose cause for beatification may be started soon. For the Day school pupils performed a play on missionary work in Vietnam today, while the main event was a celebration of the Eucharist.
The next Salesian Day will be held by the Salesian community in Dalat on 19 November.
In the last two years there has been a new awakening of faith among Catholics in Vietnam: to commemorate the arrival of the first missionaries 470 years ago the community marked 2004 as a Holy Year of Evangelisation. The aim of the year of evangelisation was to increase awareness that mission is a task for all Christians, not only priests and religious. The Bishops asked Catholics to pray for evangelisation and to devote some of their time to missionary activity. In 2005 in communion with the universal Church, Vietnamese Catholics celebrated the Year of the Eucharist with more frequent attendance at Mass and also just visits to the Lord Jesus present in the tabernacle and came to a greater understanding and love of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/11/2005 Righe: 25 Parole: 265)
