FMA Vietnam celebrated World Mission Day 2016
Tam Ha, Vietnam, 22 Octobe 2016 -- FMA Vietnam (VTN) celebrated the World Mission Day at the Provincial House for more than 100 FMAs and candidates of initial stages of formation. This celebration was to respond to the call of mission of Pop Francis “Go as missionary disciples”, to keep pace with the Church in Vietnam “Together announce Good News to peripheries”, to deepen missionary identity of FMAs and to prepare ourselves for 140 year mission anniversary of the Institute.
On Friday evening October 21st, Sr. Marta Hoang Thi Thuy – Provincial Councilor of Mission and Sr Maria Long Phuong – head of VTN missionary department reported contents of 3 day meeting of Committee of Announcing God News at Ministry Center from August 28-3, 2016. Then, after vesper, Sr. Concetta Tran Thi La – Vice Provincial shared October missionary letter written by Sr. Alaide Deretti – General Councilor of Mission.
The following day began with the special laud. Then Sr. Marta stated the reasons of the feast day.
Before opening ceremony, the participants enjoyed an item named “The Holy Spirit opens heart – covers with waves of mercy” in order to see pros and cons of information technology as well as to believe that thank to covering of mercy, people feel warmth of God and human’s love.
Next, Sr. Concetta opened the program. She recalled each one missionary spirit of our Founders, of our first missionaries. She also reminded us missionary identity of FMAs: “at any place, at any time and among any one, we must let the Holy Spirit guide us to become missionaries who bring mercy of God to realities of the world”
After that, Fr. Dominic Tran Xuan Thao – Head of missionary department of Xuan Loc diocese gave a talk on theme: Roles of the religious in the missionary field and Fr. Hieronymus Nguyen Dinh Cong – Doctor of Mission gave a presentation on theme: Distinguish between missionary activities and mission.
After talks, Fr. Dominic and Fr. Hieronymus celebrated the holy mass. Then it was sending ceremony, which aimed sisters to new missionary borders, to commit to express mercy through encounters with the poor, immigrants in peripheries and on media…. After mass, everyone had lunch together.
The day ended with hallmarks of Spirit: the enthusiasm of sisters of missionary department, the concern of communities’ animators, the collaboration of sisters, the sincerity of sharing experience to one another … All bears good fruits. May these hallmarks help sisters cover everywhere and everyone with waves of mercy, which makes mercy of God become lively in our daily life!
Il Signore benedica ogni sorella e giovane in formazione della vostra ispettoria. Vi auguro e prego che conserviate sempre vivo lo spirito missionario delle origini che è pegno di sempre nuove e buone vocazioni.
Con affetto.
Sr. Imelda