By Fr. Minh Tuan, SDB

Xuân Hiệp, Việt Nam, 15 September 2017 -- “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25, 40) According to annual schedule, in order to help all Salesian fathers or Salesian brothers those who are economers in different local communities fulfill properly their task, the provincial economer Salesian brother Peter Nguyen Hoang Phi, SDB in cooperating with his staff organized a two days’ seminar in provincial house – Xuan Hiệp, Viet Nam from September 14 and 15, 2017. Attending to this seminar was more than 30 Salesian priest or Salesian brothers. In his openning words, the Provincial Fr. Jos. Nguyen Van Quang, SDB shared some hot news about the release of the Salesian father Thomas Uzhunnalil, the Indian Salesian missionary in Yemen was captured by the IS more than one year ago. Then he also shared about good results of the recent meeting (two days meeting) of all the Salesians (around 28 confreres) working in the North of Viet Nam. And then he also shared about the news of transfering of the Pisana to other place, and the provincial reminded all the economers to think about this lesson and try to manage well all the matters relating to material things.

After that is the part of input how to make financial reports and also how to use financial software. Relating to this part, the provincial economer invited Fr. Peter Pham Van Chinh, SDB and also several experts from Editing VietAustralia Company to come to help all the economers to understand and to practice how to use and to do the report and also some finacial softwares.

Especially, in this seminar the former provincial economer of Viet Nam Province Fr. Vincent Vu Ngoc Dong, SDB came and had a talk about the role of the Salesian economer. In his talk, he highlighted about the different characteristics each Salesian economer should have in order to be good economer as the Salesian Congregation and also the Catholic desires. Fr. Vincent emphasized that the Salesian economer should have a balanced life, caring for the young, and particularly they should have an attitude of serving and clear attitude with money, especially fr. Vincent said that the Salesian should be careful and never “become the slave of two masters”. Finally, fr. Vincent reminded all the economers about the final aim of all the task of financial administration by quoting the idea of the General economer brother Jean Paul Muller, SDB that is “The final purpose of all the task of financial administration is to offer the best service for the poor youth.”

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