(ANS – Ho Chi Minh City) – Since 1999 the VIE province has sent 108 missionaries to the missio ad gentes and 90 of them are currently working in 36 different Salesian provinces around the world (83%). Among the 395 Vietnamese Salesians the percentage who are missionaries ad gentes is 22,6%, a little bit more than it was at the time of the death of Don Bosco in 1888 when the figure of  Salesians working in the missions was 20%.

By Fr. Thomas Long, SDB

According to an already established tradition, Salesian Mission Day is celebrated at the beginning of November. Until last year the focus was on the missio ad gentes, with sharing by some Vietnamese Salesian missionaries working abroad.

In this six-year period the focus of the Vietnamese province is on fostering the home-mission towards the ordinary Vietnamese non-Christian youth or towards ethnic minorities in the highlands of the country. For a more effective impact of this event each of the five geographical zones of the province is organizing its own SMD in 2015. Indeed in Vietnam (population 90 million +) the Catholic Church counts for only 7% of the population. There is a large field  for the witnessing and initial proclamation of Jesus to the youth.

Some 130 Salesian Brothers, Priests and novices gathered in the morning of 7 November in the chapel of Ben Cat community in downtown Ho Chi Min City. The provincial commission for missionary animation led by Fr Thomas Long took care of the whole event.

After the initial Lectio divina there was a Key Talk by the Vice-provincial, Fr Joseph Am on Evangelii Gaudium and Salesian missionary commitment. This was followed by a sharing by Fr Provincial on his recent first visit to the Mongolia Delegation. All participants were involved in the group workshops, and were invited to contribute to the provincial plan for missionary action (2015-2021). Five practical evangelization topics were commented on by all participants - how to share the Gospel in our Oratory, Parish, non-formal education experience for the poor youth and in the Vocation Training Centres.

The concluding remarks were shared by the EAO Regional who was here on a leadership visit. Following the post Don Bosco 200 dreams of the Rector Major, Fr Klement underlined the need to rekindle the missionary fire of each Salesian in all communities, and availability for the mission wherever requested by the Congregation or the Church.

Published 10/11/2015