Cat Dam Community, Vietnam North Delegation

By Fr. Trung Hoan, SDB

Thai Binh, North Vietnam, Saturday 16 December 2020 – In the joy of the Word-became-flesh celebration, Don Bosco Cat Dam Youth Center, Thai Binh province, Vietnam, had preparations to make the season alive, holy and joyful such as decoration of the house, dining room, Don Bosco statue, and making of nativity displays at different corners in the compound. The remarkable event was the solenm mass of the Holy Family and a special musical program to welcome the Child Jesus. Fr. Trung Hoan, SDB, the Salesian in charge of the Don Bosco youth center and the group of Thai Binh Catholic students together with three students were responsible for these events.

At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday 26 December 2020, in the cold weather of north Vietnam, on behalf of Cat Dam community, Fr. Joseph Trung Hoan welcomed Fr. Rector of Cat Dam community, the Salesian confreres, children and young people from Don Bosco Cat Dam Home for the disabled, groups of young people and Catholic students from different places in Thai Binh city who came to attend the mass and the program. The outside mass was presided by Fr. Ngoc Chinh the rector of Don Bosco Cat Dam community in front of the Nativity scene of the youth center at 7 p.m.

In his homily Fr. Rector shared that the Word became flesh in our 'common home' and lived as a man in the house at Nazareth. The Holy family with the presence of the Child Jesus has become the model for every family so that every family may become a domestic church. The experience of Jesus’s growth increasing in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people in the family with Mary and Joseph reminded every family to reverently pray to God to come and be present in the family. Let everyone also ask the Child Jesus to be born in his heart. After communion the leader of the students’ group sent Christmas greetings and expressed gratitude to the rector, community, all the members of youth center and everyone.

After the mass was the musical program with the theme: Singing for the love of the incarnate God for the earth. There were 10 items from all the attending groups alternating with a lucky lottery. At the end of the program Fr. Rector cut the birthday cake and together with everyone sang the birthday song to the Child Jesus. Then everyone shared Christmas joy at a simple dinner with chicken porridge.

All the activities of the Christmas celebration helped to bring everyone closer to God and to one another. Everyone could feel the joy and peace of Christmas with gratitude to the Child Jesus who is the content and meaning of Christmas celebration.

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