austraLasia #2621
A Blessed Michael Rua Celebration - Vietnam
XUAN HIEP: 8 April 2010 -- On 6 April, 2010, the Philip Rinaldi Community (Studentate of Theology) of Xuan Hiep, Vietnam, solemnly celebrated the centenary of the death of Blessed Michael Rua with the Provincial, involving an opening paraliturgy, a Eucharistic celebration to conclude the day, and the blessing of a statue to Blessed Michael Rua.
The paraliturgy included a presentation of the two letters of the Rector Major (24-06-2009 and 31-01-2010) on the celebration of this centenary. In his first letter, the Rector Major invited the whole Congregation to celebrated this centenary as a spiritual and pastoral journey at personal, community and Province level : faithful to our Salesian Consecration and to be Don Bosco today wherever we find ourselves living and working. In his second letter, he particularly drew attention to 6 April, 2010, when the commemoration will be celebrated at Turin, recalling the way the confreres responded at the time and the addresses given at his funeral.
Following the Rector's presentation of these two letters, the last hours and and the last days of Blessed Michael Rua were read and a simple ceremony of commemoration was celebrated : all the participants stood in silence to pay tribute to Blessed Michael Rua.
Father Joseph Am, who is working on a Vietnamese translation of the Life of Fr Rua, then spoke at greater length of five periods of Blessed Michael Rua’s life :
(1) The first 15 years in family life, not so easy (1837-1852)
(2) 11 years of study and formation in the Valdocco Oratory of Don Bosco (1852-1863)
(3) 2 years as rector of Mirabello (1863-1965)
(4) 23 years as an “alter Don Bosco” (1865-1888)
(5) 22 years as successor of Don Bosco (1888-1910)
Then, he presented the spiritual life of Blessed Michael Rua as a disciple in the journey of conversion (ongoing formation) to become Don Bosco more and more, through exercise of the grace of unity, his source of apostolic energy, his passion for God and passion for man, his work and temperance, and his 'friendship' with poverty and humility!
As conclusion, Father Am drew a message for the Salesians in Vietnam : like Don Rua, let us return to the roots, that is Don Bosco. And let us inflame our heart with fervent fire of love for God and for souls of the young.
The event included an opportunity for several confreres to express their understanding and feelings of love towards Don Bosco and their willingness to imitate him.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
A Blessed Michael Rua Celebration - Vietnam
XUAN HIEP: 8 April 2010 -- On 6 April, 2010, the Philip Rinaldi Community (Studentate of Theology) of Xuan Hiep, Vietnam, solemnly celebrated the centenary of the death of Blessed Michael Rua with the Provincial, involving an opening paraliturgy, a Eucharistic celebration to conclude the day, and the blessing of a statue to Blessed Michael Rua.
The paraliturgy included a presentation of the two letters of the Rector Major (24-06-2009 and 31-01-2010) on the celebration of this centenary. In his first letter, the Rector Major invited the whole Congregation to celebrated this centenary as a spiritual and pastoral journey at personal, community and Province level : faithful to our Salesian Consecration and to be Don Bosco today wherever we find ourselves living and working. In his second letter, he particularly drew attention to 6 April, 2010, when the commemoration will be celebrated at Turin, recalling the way the confreres responded at the time and the addresses given at his funeral.
Following the Rector's presentation of these two letters, the last hours and and the last days of Blessed Michael Rua were read and a simple ceremony of commemoration was celebrated : all the participants stood in silence to pay tribute to Blessed Michael Rua.
Father Joseph Am, who is working on a Vietnamese translation of the Life of Fr Rua, then spoke at greater length of five periods of Blessed Michael Rua’s life :
(1) The first 15 years in family life, not so easy (1837-1852)
(2) 11 years of study and formation in the Valdocco Oratory of Don Bosco (1852-1863)
(3) 2 years as rector of Mirabello (1863-1965)
(4) 23 years as an “alter Don Bosco” (1865-1888)
(5) 22 years as successor of Don Bosco (1888-1910)
Then, he presented the spiritual life of Blessed Michael Rua as a disciple in the journey of conversion (ongoing formation) to become Don Bosco more and more, through exercise of the grace of unity, his source of apostolic energy, his passion for God and passion for man, his work and temperance, and his 'friendship' with poverty and humility!
As conclusion, Father Am drew a message for the Salesians in Vietnam : like Don Rua, let us return to the roots, that is Don Bosco. And let us inflame our heart with fervent fire of love for God and for souls of the young.
The event included an opportunity for several confreres to express their understanding and feelings of love towards Don Bosco and their willingness to imitate him.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
