By Fr Van Hao, SDB

Dalat, Vietnam, 1 May 2016 – ‘Lovely family’ is the theme of friendly meeting between Saigon and Dalat Catholic students groups at DonBosco Dalat during 2 days from April 30 to May the 1st. More than 350 young students came here, creating a very young and joyful atmosphere of festival.

With some words to commence the festival days of Fr. John Chrysostom Pham Ngoc Truong SDB, in charge of Bosconian students, the meeting began with waving dances of young boys and girls. They were then divided into 20 groups, named by Catholic saints. They began to be closer together with full enthusiasm.

In the afternoon of the 1st day, we held football games between Dalat and Saigon teams. The players expressed joyful and youthful spirit even though the weather was not so good. The final winners were the female team of Saigon and male team of Dalat. The competition among 20 groups was continued with various games using brainstorming efforts. These activities made the young Bosconians become more and more friendly close together.

After breaktime, all attended the moments of praying and meditating on the life of DonBosco, sitting around a campfire on the playground. There were also some songs and dances, especially with skilful display of the young students. The impact of this activity was the invitation to live in God’s love like DonBosco. Everybody, then, enjoyed a happy night party with various foods prepared by themselves. The first day ended with one hour of praying in Taize style. Father Provincial Joseph Nguyen Van Quang SDB gave a short good night talk to all.

Early in the next day, May the first, Fr. Provincial presided the Mass together with Salesian priests of the community and priests in charge of Saigon boarding houses. In the homily, he explained the Sunday Gospel with the theme ‘ The heart and the love’. This was also the message he would like to send to all Bosconian students. He recited the story of an American soldier taking care a Japanese boy to describe the love and the Mercy of God. He reminded the listeners to carry out what Jesus said to his disciples: “Love each other as I did love you”. At the end, Fr. Provincial said: “My dear young students and also my dear friends, you should return to the Church in deep communion. You should remain in God’s love by going in the path of love. This is the sign of authentic Christ’s disciples.”

The Mass ended with friendly handshakings to express the family spirit of DonBosco. After the Mass, everybody had some minutes to share a simple breakfast. Then, Father John Chrysostom Pham Ngoc Truong SDB had some words to the students. He talked about the ‘family’, the theme of the meeting today. From this idea, all the students shared to another their thoughts and wishes. Many sharings among the young created an open and friendly atmosphere. After all, Father John concluded and said to the students: “You should love your own family, concluding your parents, your brothers and sisters, but you should still love another family which is here among DonBosco’s friends in boarding houses’.

During the lunch, a simple academy with youthful songs and different items made the foods much more delicious. Two representatives of 2 groups talked some words to express the gratitude to the Salesian community and to everybody.

Two days of friendly meeting passed over. The smiles, the chats, the friendly embraces will never be forgotten in the heart of all. Although apart in distance, the Bosconian students will be very close together in their hearts. Facing the coming future, they are very happy because they have DonBosco as their Father, their Teacher, and also their very close Friend. They are also optimistic in coming days because they know that the Church is always open for them.

We wish the young students keep always the fire of enthusiasm in their heart. We also wish that the spirit of DonBosco in them will be brighter and brighter in this society today.

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