Annual Retreat and Congress 

of Aspirants of Don Bosco Vietnam

By Aspirant Antony Le Van Khanh

Salesian Retreat House, K’Long, Lam Dong, Vietnam 7 February 2020 -- After the Lunar Year vacation with families, at 5 p.m. on 01 February 2020 around 200 aspirants and junior aspirants from different Salesian communities entered the annual retreat at the Salesian retreat house at K’Long before they start planning for this new year. The retreat was from 1 to 4 February. And they had the congress on 5 February after the retreat.

This was really a special occasion for every aspirant to look back over their life during last year as well as during the lunar new year vacation with their families. They were invited and given a good opportunity to discern God’s will for every one of them. Fr Nicholas Kieu Long Ho, SDB, the preacher of the retreat, was very zealous in giving his talks. He had chosen three great topics to share over the three days: 1 - Life of young people and Gospel values; 2 – Personal responsibilities in relation to the society and with the Church; 3 – Jesus Christ: Model – Motivation – Life and Hope of Christians. On the last day of the retreat the aspirants had an hour of Taize prayer in order for them to be in tranquillity to reflect on what God had spoken to them over the past three days of the retreat.

Besides that, the retreat also helped every aspirant have a good chance to get to know better other aspirants who came from different Salesian communities: Da Lat, Xuan Hiep, Ben Cat, Dong Thuan, Cau Bong. There were other activities beside the talks and silent periods such as holy mass, rosary, meals, sport and chores in those days. They all helped the aspirants improve the fraternity, family spirit and motivation to walk on their vocation journey.

Through this retreat many aspirants surely found ‘tranquillity’ in their soul and encountered Jesus.

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