By FMA VTN SC
VTN FMA Province Vietnam, 9 August 2023 --- At 8:30 a.m. on 5 August 2023 the Holy Mass of perpetual profession of 16 FMA was celebrated at the Provincial House of the Mary Help Province in HCMC, Vietnam. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Joseph Do Quang Khang of Bac Ninh Diocese, along with Vicar General of Quy Nhon Diocese, Salesian Provincial, Father Barnaba Le An Phong, and more than 60 other concelebrants.
Joining in the Holy Mass were the religious, parents and relatives of the candidates, benefactors and guests of the Province.
At the beginning of the Mass, Bishop Joseph repeated the words of God: "The love of Christ compels us" (2 Cor 5:14), which 16 sisters who made their perpetual profession chose to invite the community to wholeheartedly thank the Lord for His grace granted upon the Institute, the Province and each one in these blessed days.
Following the proclamation of the Gospel was the introduction of the 16 candidates and the homily.
Reflecting on the meaning of the response 'Here I am, send me', and the prayer when giving the symbol to the perpetual profession sisters "be the wonderful garland and the royal jewel of God" from the rite of the perpetual profession, in his homily, Bishop Joseph invited the sisters to be convinced of their vocation, of the eternal love that God had for them before their existence so that they could put themselves in His love and the status of being sent. At the same time, he also invited the sisters to cherish their vocation and preserve it so that wherever they live, they will always live beautifully to everyone and to other sisters.
Next came the interrogation of the candidates, Litany of the saints, and the 16 candidates publicly made their perpetual vows and signed them on the altar to belong to God forever, the solemn prayer of consecration, Sr. Maria - the Provincial on behalf of the Mother General welcomed them as perpetually professed sisters of the Institute, and then the Bishop gave them the symbol of the new perpetual profession.
Before receiving the final blessing, Sr. Maria the Provincial represented the Province to express sincere gratitude to Bishop Joseph, priests, religious and all guests who came to celebrate the Mass, pray and share joy with the Institute. She also expressed her deep gratitude to the parents of the sisters because “for Don Bosco, parents are the first benefactors of the Institute", and she wished that they taste overwhelming joy when generously offering their daughters to God.
The Mass ended in a spirit of thanksgiving to God and filled with blessings, the whole community shared great joy with the families, the Institute and the Church.
“The love of Christ compels us” (2 Cor 5:14) is also the joyful response to the eternal call of God in the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. May the Lord and Mary Help of Christians continue to accompany and bestow many blessings on the sisters so that they generously dedicate themselves with happiness and commitment to serve God among the poor and abandoned young people.
