By Fr. Joseph Phuoc, SDB
Provincial Delegate for Formation

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 7 October 2018 -- We are happy to share the good news that, after two and a half months of work, the construction company responsible for renovating the old gym to turn it into a library and meeting hall has completed its work. For the past 20 years, the gym has been used for the Vocational Training Centre, Youth Centre, and as a temporary location for Xuan Hiep Parish services. The library can host 150 students at one time, and the bookshelf area can contain almost 70-90 thousand books.The Aula Magna can host more than 230 persons for Seminars, Graduation events, and also for our upcoming programs of "Theology for Laity" and "Consecrated persons", "Youth Leadership" etc.

In this way we are able to realise many kinds of Don Bosco Study Centre programs which will respond to the needs of the people in our District of Thu Duc (Ho Chi Minh City), where a great number of various Catholic congregations and parishes are concentrated.

Many professors and formators have dreamed of it for years. Now the dream comes true. Our formation team and superiors want our Salesian students of theology to consider it, after the community chapel, as their 'home' room as theology students.

A new parish church of St John Bosco is located currently in the compoud of the Xuan Hiep SDB community. The parish has close to 10.,00 Catholic faithful). A large non-formal school for migrant children (600 students) and the Bl. Philip Rinaldi community for specific formation to priesthood is also located there. Every year more than 35 SDB students and some from other Congregations are being prepared here during their 4 years theology studies.

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