“Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days.” (Ps 23,6)

By Mary Anh Thi, FMA

       FMA Vietnam, 7 August 2022 -- In the spirit of thanksgiving to God, on August 4, 2022, at the Provincial house, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Vietnam celebrated the Holy Mass of the First Profession of Religious Vows of 21 novices and 150th Anniversary of the FMA Institute with families of the candidates who made the First Profession.

       The Holy Mass was celebrated by Father Barnaba Le An Phong, the Provincial of the Salesian Don Bosco in Vietnam.

       In his homily, he shared: “When you make the religious vows, you accept a new relationship and do everything as a nun. Vows radically transform you in Christ, giving you new hearts to glorify God." He also invited the religious and candidates to remember: "I am an instrument in God's hands, and I train myself to be sharp one, always ready for God's use."

       Right after the homily was the rite of religious vows. In the presence of the community, the candidates publicly made the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience for one year, according to the evangelical way traced out by the Constitutions of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. Then the candidates received the Institute’s constitution and the cross.

       On behalf of the Mother General Superior, Sr. Maria Hoang Thi Thu Ha – the Provincial expressed her gesture of welcoming the new juniors in the temporarily professed ones of the Institute.

       Before ending the Mass, Sr. Maria represented the Province, thanked the Fathers, the religious and the community who were present to pray for the Institute and for the sisters. In a special way, she deeply thanked the parents for generously offering the Institute their beloved daughters. The Institute has been developed for 150 years thanks to the grace of God and the motherly hands of Mary. She also asked everyone to pray for the Institute, for the holiness of the sisters and for the mission among the poor and abandoned young people.

       Join us in praying for the sisters on the journey of holiness so that their experience of "being loved and transformed by God, cherished and cared for" is always the motivation to help them be strong on their journey of dedicating life and serving the mission in accordance with the Institute’s charism.

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