By Fr. Van Hao, SDB

Dalat, Vietnam April 12 2016 - The VIE (Vietnam – Mongolia) Provincial chapter began on Monday April 11 at the Retreat house of K’Long community. 55 delegates from 20 communities (18 of Vietnam and 2 of Mongolia) and 4 Salesian presences located in Vietnam have been gathering in these days to share the atmosphere of fraternity and showing strong willingness to promote the province under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

DAY 1 (April 11)

At 8:30 - the opening ceremony started with the short warm welcome speech of the provincial. After that, we heard the sharing and dreams of the members of the Salesian family.

At 14:00 - the participants spent the time for recollection. His Excellency Joseph Dinh Duc Dao, the Vicar Bishop of Xuan Loc diocese, shared with the participants deep thoughts of the conversion as the first and necessary step to build an intimate life with Jesus Christ. The highlight of the 1st day was the celebration of the Eucharist. The provincial, Fr Joseph Nguyen van Quang, presided the Eucharist with the concelebration of the participants. In the homily, he reminded the chapter’s participants to open the heart for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

DAY 2 (April 12)

The second day of the chapter began with the report of father Provincial about the situation of the province during the last 3 years. After that, the participants were divided into 5 groups to discuss and to recognize the real positive and negative aspects of the province based on the report of the provincial.

In the afternoon, the Chapter began the first work about the implementation of GC 27, in reference of the letter of Father Rector Major sent to vie Province, and also accordance with the decision of execution of PC 2013. The second work is to reshape the Salesian presence in the province, including the evaluation of the communities and of the mission.

The Province of Vietnam and Mongolia (VIE) has now 305 confreres and 29 novices, not including 93 missionaries ad gentes who are now working in many different countries throughout the world. There are 20 communities (18 in Vietnam and 2 in Mongolia). The Province is now running 5 vocational technical schools and centers, with 34 parishes entrusted to the Salesians and many other Salesian works in Vietnam and Mongolia.

The PC 2016 will end in 22 April. Please pray for us to be filled with the graces of the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, so that we will not simply do some good, but decide to do the good we should do as the Rector Major Ángel F. Artime said at the meeting of the EAO provincials last March in the Philippines.

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