Xuan Hiep parish in Archdiocese of Saigon
Xuan Hiep, Vietnam, 31 January 2018 - On Wednesday January 31st 2018 at 9:30, the Archbishop of Archdiocese of Saigon, Msgr. Peter Bui Van Doc, blessed and consecrated the new church dedicated to Don Bosco at Xuan Hiep parish, Saigon diocese, VietNam.
Three years ago, VietNam province decided to build a new church dedicated to Don Bosco on the occasion of the anniversary of 200 year of his birth. So, right at the façade of the new church was erected 3 meter high statue of Don Bosco which was blessed by Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Quang, the provincial, on the last January 28. This statue was put on a big one meter high rock.
Present also at the big event were the Bishop of Thai Binh diocese, Msgr. Peter Nguyen Van De, Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Quang SDB, the provincial of the Salesians, several provincials and superiors general of some congregations, Sister Vu Thi Kim Lien, the provincial of FMA and some FMA sisters, a number of the religious, benefactors and guests. The total number was about 3.000.
At 9:30, the Archbishop of Saigon, Msgr. Peter Bui Van Doc and the provincial, Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Quang, performed the ribbon cutting ceremony before the door of the new church and pulled down the cloth covering the commemorative stele. Then Fr. Joseph handed the key of the new church to the Archbishop Peter, and he handed it to the Fr. FX. Nguyen Trung Thanh, the parish priest of Xuan Hiep parish. After the door was unlocked and opened by the parish priest, the Archbishop Peter led the procession into the church.
After the liturgy of the Word, the Archbishop of Saigon diocese, Mrgs. Peter Bui Van Doc, consecrated the new church and the altar.
By the end of the solemn mass, Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Quang, the provincial, gave thanks to the Archbishop Peter, Bishop Peter, benefactors and all those present at this event.
Celebrating the Feastday of Don Bosco
and ending of the year
Chu Prong Trai Gao Parish, North Vietnam
Trai Gao, Vietnam 28 January 2018 -- After many days of preparation, on Jan 27, 2018 Salesian sisters, Salesians, together with pastoral council organized a day of celebration for the children of the parish.
In the morning of the day, different football teams had friendship games. Those teams coming from nearby parishes like Chinh Nghia, Dong A, and of course the host team of Trai Gao parish. After football games, they all had lunch together in a very family spirit.
The high mark of the day was the procession to honor St. John Bosco and followed by the holy Mass to celebrate the solemlity of St. John Bosco in the afternoon with two Salesian priests from Trai Gao parish, Fr. Pet. Phuoc, OFM, parish priest of Van Mon, Fr. Pet. Vu Khac Nang, the professor of My Duc seminary, và Fr. Francis Nguyen Anh Tuan, SDB.
In his homily, Fr. Pet. Vu Khac Nang explained the second reading “Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, rejoice.” He said that St. John Bosco is the saint of joy, the joy in serving God and serving the young, especially the poorest ones. Then the homilist invited all the people especialy the young to imitate Don Bosco to be joyfull always even though sometimes in life we must face difficulties or suffering because we know that God will be always with us. And then he also invited everybody to follow the example of St. John Bosco in order to serve others especially those are poor, and those who are not knowing Jesus yet.
When the evening came, the space in front of the church were already full of people especially the children, they gathered around different stations for playing and food. The atmosphere of cheerfulness and happiness was experienced by everybody.
Thanks be to God for giving us St. John Bosco, and also thank you all the benefactors, organizers for this wonderful and meaningful day. May God continue to bless all the Salesians, priests, benefactors, and the young through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians and St. John Bosco.
Sharing gifts for poor people at Thanh Ha Parish
Kontum Province, Vietnam, 28 January 2018 -- In these days of nearing to lunar new year, parishioners of Thanh Ha parish, Kontum Diocese under the care of Salesians were happy with care and gifts given by different good people from different places in the south of Viet Nam. These were small and spontaneous groups, they gathered together in order to bring joy to the poor, and then also there was a groups of doctors with more than 70 people. All these volunteers when they came to Thanh Ha parish, they had only a wish that they could offer to these poor people especially ethnic people with many of them having leprosy a little joy.
Also as a tradition, some friends of the Salesian brother Vincent Nguyen Nang Vinh who has been working here in this high land province of Kontum have come every year before lunar new year in order to give these poor people with leprosy clothes, necessary things, and also money.
This year, on January 1, a group around ten persons already visited leprotic villages in order to console them and to share with them some necessary things. To come to these people, they could see many suffering people because many of them couldn’t be able to stand by themselves to receive gifts since they have no feet since the consequence of their sickness. However, they still smiled because they knew that they were not abandoned, and there were still many people love them and come to visit them.
And then after this group from Dong Nai province, the next group of doctors and nurses from Sai Gon City also came to visit, to check their health, to give medicines, and other gifts for them on Jan 27, 28. This group with around 70 members, they even had with them a kind of mobile hospital with different medical machines and tools so that they could cure for more than 1.400 sick people.
After two days of helping sick and poor people, this group of good people went home in the love and gratitude of the people of this high land, hoping that many more good people also will come to this suffering people in order to bring to them the joy and hope of life even though they had so little hope in life.
