austraLasia #2788
Salesian Family Spirituality Days, DB in Vietnam
ROME: 22 January 2011 -- The Salesian Family worldwide is celebrating Blessed Laura Vicuña today, and at least from a Roman perspective one has to say that life is pretty hectic here in Rome, not leaving too much time for anything else but the immediate - the immediate being 350 or so people from around the globe in attendance for the annual Salesian Family Spirituality Days.
While these 'days' do not impinge immediately on much of EAO, they will, in due course, since they are all tied in with the Rector Major's Strenna (this year on vocations and vocation ministry), and much of the material presented over the 3-4 days of this major event filter through to the Provinces.
Speaking very much from a personal perspective, though, it has to be said that without our region, these days just might not get off the ground - at least not as they have been planned! It's fine to bring in people from anywhere around the planet, but in the end, they need to understand what is being said, things need to run smoothly, people need to feel 'at home' - and so on! Take it from me that our Region is crucial to much of this aspect. Additionally, it is well represented by two of the 28 Salesian Family Groups, one from Thailand, the other from Japan, both Sister Congregations founded in those two countries respectively by Salesians. One of the most moving features of the 'Spirituality Days' this year have been the wide-ranging personal testimonies of men and women, members of the Salesian Family, who have discovered Jesus' call in a Salesian experience. As readers would certainly know already, all this material is added, day by day, to the subsite for the Salesian Family Spirituality Days available from the www.sdb.org home page.
DB in VIETNAM
personal account written by Fr Them
"17-18 January were reserved for Salesian Houses and Parishes of Xuan Hiệp and Tam Hai. 18 January was reserved for the Salesian Houses and Parishes at Ben Cat, Binh Minh, Can Gio, Cau Bong, Tan Thinh, Cau Lon, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh. Many young and adult parishioners and the Salesians came to Xuan Hiep to visit Don Bosco and to pray before his Casket. Each Group had two hours of pilgrimage: one hour for prayer and contemplation and one hour for Mass. Confessions from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm. The pilgrimage day concluded at 11:00 pm.
We reserved two hours of pilgrimage in the evening, January 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for the Mongolian Group including Bishop Wenceslaus Padilla, Bishop of Ulaanbaatar, Fr. Andrew Tin, Superior of the Salesian Delegation in Mongolia. Bishop Wenceslaus presided at the Mass in Mongolian and gave the homily in English.
On 19 January, the morning was reserved for the parents of Salesians and Major Superiors. Bishop Joseph Tiem, Bui Chu Diocese, presided at the Mass.
The afternoon was reserved for the Salesian Past Pupils Federation and the Salesian Cooperators.
The people who came to visit Don Bosco grew in numbers as the days went by. Many people came to Xuan Hiep very day. I met one of them who told me: 'There will be no other opportunity. Therefore I have to visit Don Bosco as often as possible!'.
The morning of January 20 was reserved for the Salesians. Nearly 200 gathered around Don Bosco for their Retreat, in which Fr. Joseph Anh shared three particular events in Don Bosco's life: his dream when he was nine years old, his acceptance of the first oratorian (Bartholomew Garelli), and the first missionary send-off. At the Mass, Fr. Joseph Hung, Provincial, stressed the call to holiness: 'each Salesian should become a pastor of holiness'.
The apex of these days of pilgrimage was the afternoon of January 20: reserved for the young. More than five thousand young people came from different places, even far away (200 or 300 kilometers). Additionally, there were more than 5,000 who came to Xuan Hiep to visit Don Bosco. Most had to remain outside for lack of room. The Mass was celebrated by the Cardinal Archbishop of Hochiminh City. Bishops Wenceslaus and Peter De, Bishop of Thai Binh, were concelebrants. Bishop Peter De gave the homily. During the Mass, there was a special ceremony: 8 new candidates submitted their applications for Missions “ad gentes”.
The night of January 20 was the last night for Don Bosco’s Casket at Xuan Hiep. Therefore the people were allowed to “watch” with Don Bosco until midnight. And some slept there overnight so that in the early morning of January 21, they would be able to attend the Mass and the Ceremony of handing over.
After the Mass in the early morning of January 21, the Ceremony of handing over of the Don Bosco Casket to the FMA at Tam Ha was celebrated by Father Joseph Hung, Provincial. There was a group of the FMA took part, among them the Sister Provincial. Don Bosco's Casket left Xuan Hiep Salesian House and arrived at FMA Tam Ha on schedule.
According to our schedule, Don Bosco's Casket will go to Phuoc Loc Community and Parish on 22 January. On 23 January, to Duc Huy Community and Parish. On 24 January, to Dalat and remain there until the 30th. Early on January 30, the Casket goes to Ba Thon Novitiate and Parish and remains there until 1st of February.
I believe that during this time of grace, many people have received so many graces through the intercession of Don Bosco. Among them there are vocations, because in one request letter of prayer that I had the chance to read, one mother ask Don Bosco to help her son follow Don Bosco".
_________________
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 . RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2011 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
Salesian Family Spirituality Days, DB in Vietnam
ROME: 22 January 2011 -- The Salesian Family worldwide is celebrating Blessed Laura Vicuña today, and at least from a Roman perspective one has to say that life is pretty hectic here in Rome, not leaving too much time for anything else but the immediate - the immediate being 350 or so people from around the globe in attendance for the annual Salesian Family Spirituality Days.
While these 'days' do not impinge immediately on much of EAO, they will, in due course, since they are all tied in with the Rector Major's Strenna (this year on vocations and vocation ministry), and much of the material presented over the 3-4 days of this major event filter through to the Provinces.
Speaking very much from a personal perspective, though, it has to be said that without our region, these days just might not get off the ground - at least not as they have been planned! It's fine to bring in people from anywhere around the planet, but in the end, they need to understand what is being said, things need to run smoothly, people need to feel 'at home' - and so on! Take it from me that our Region is crucial to much of this aspect. Additionally, it is well represented by two of the 28 Salesian Family Groups, one from Thailand, the other from Japan, both Sister Congregations founded in those two countries respectively by Salesians. One of the most moving features of the 'Spirituality Days' this year have been the wide-ranging personal testimonies of men and women, members of the Salesian Family, who have discovered Jesus' call in a Salesian experience. As readers would certainly know already, all this material is added, day by day, to the subsite for the Salesian Family Spirituality Days available from the www.sdb.org home page.
DB in VIETNAM
personal account written by Fr Them
"17-18 January were reserved for Salesian Houses and Parishes of Xuan Hiệp and Tam Hai. 18 January was reserved for the Salesian Houses and Parishes at Ben Cat, Binh Minh, Can Gio, Cau Bong, Tan Thinh, Cau Lon, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh. Many young and adult parishioners and the Salesians came to Xuan Hiep to visit Don Bosco and to pray before his Casket. Each Group had two hours of pilgrimage: one hour for prayer and contemplation and one hour for Mass. Confessions from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm. The pilgrimage day concluded at 11:00 pm.
We reserved two hours of pilgrimage in the evening, January 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for the Mongolian Group including Bishop Wenceslaus Padilla, Bishop of Ulaanbaatar, Fr. Andrew Tin, Superior of the Salesian Delegation in Mongolia. Bishop Wenceslaus presided at the Mass in Mongolian and gave the homily in English.
On 19 January, the morning was reserved for the parents of Salesians and Major Superiors. Bishop Joseph Tiem, Bui Chu Diocese, presided at the Mass.
The afternoon was reserved for the Salesian Past Pupils Federation and the Salesian Cooperators.
The people who came to visit Don Bosco grew in numbers as the days went by. Many people came to Xuan Hiep very day. I met one of them who told me: 'There will be no other opportunity. Therefore I have to visit Don Bosco as often as possible!'.
The morning of January 20 was reserved for the Salesians. Nearly 200 gathered around Don Bosco for their Retreat, in which Fr. Joseph Anh shared three particular events in Don Bosco's life: his dream when he was nine years old, his acceptance of the first oratorian (Bartholomew Garelli), and the first missionary send-off. At the Mass, Fr. Joseph Hung, Provincial, stressed the call to holiness: 'each Salesian should become a pastor of holiness'.
The apex of these days of pilgrimage was the afternoon of January 20: reserved for the young. More than five thousand young people came from different places, even far away (200 or 300 kilometers). Additionally, there were more than 5,000 who came to Xuan Hiep to visit Don Bosco. Most had to remain outside for lack of room. The Mass was celebrated by the Cardinal Archbishop of Hochiminh City. Bishops Wenceslaus and Peter De, Bishop of Thai Binh, were concelebrants. Bishop Peter De gave the homily. During the Mass, there was a special ceremony: 8 new candidates submitted their applications for Missions “ad gentes”.
The night of January 20 was the last night for Don Bosco’s Casket at Xuan Hiep. Therefore the people were allowed to “watch” with Don Bosco until midnight. And some slept there overnight so that in the early morning of January 21, they would be able to attend the Mass and the Ceremony of handing over.
After the Mass in the early morning of January 21, the Ceremony of handing over of the Don Bosco Casket to the FMA at Tam Ha was celebrated by Father Joseph Hung, Provincial. There was a group of the FMA took part, among them the Sister Provincial. Don Bosco's Casket left Xuan Hiep Salesian House and arrived at FMA Tam Ha on schedule.
According to our schedule, Don Bosco's Casket will go to Phuoc Loc Community and Parish on 22 January. On 23 January, to Duc Huy Community and Parish. On 24 January, to Dalat and remain there until the 30th. Early on January 30, the Casket goes to Ba Thon Novitiate and Parish and remains there until 1st of February.
I believe that during this time of grace, many people have received so many graces through the intercession of Don Bosco. Among them there are vocations, because in one request letter of prayer that I had the chance to read, one mother ask Don Bosco to help her son follow Don Bosco".
_________________
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 . RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2011 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
