DON BOSCO’S SUCCESSOR IN VIETNAM Day 1

Xuan Hiep 9 April 2007 -- Fr. Pascual Chavez, the Rector Major of the Salesian Society of Don Bosco started his Visit to Vietnam. According to the schedule, he will stay in Vietnam for one week, from the 9^th to 15^th of April. He will visit a number of Salesian communities, especially, the houses of formation of the Province and some vocational training centers. Besides, the Province will hold a Provincial Youth Day to celebrate the presence of the ninth Successor of Don Bosco among the young.

At 10:40 AM, together with his secretary, Fr. Juan Bartolomez, he was welcomed at the Airport of Ho Chi Minh City by Fr. John Baptist Them, the Provincial of SDB Vietnam, a number of Salesians, Salesian Sisters (FMA), Cooperators, Alumni and friends (totally around 50 people). They took some photographs and moved to the Provincial House which is located around 20 km from the airport.

He then had lunch with the group and took a rest after a long trip by airplane from Rome to Ho Chi Minh through Bangkok. It was certain that he had to bear with the hot and humid weather since Vietnam is entering summer very soon.

At 6:00 PM, the official reception was done in the chapel of the Salesian Center of Theological Studies. Fr. John Baptist Them extended the heartfelt greetings to Fr. Chavez on behalf of the whole province. He stated that the province was eagerly looking forward to this event. As he said, the whole Salesian Family in Vietnam is honored to welcome him as the Rector Major, the Father of the Family and as Don Bosco himself.

In reply, the Rector Major gave some encouraging words to the Salesians present in the Chapel. He began with some of his grateful remarks for the consistent presence of the Salesians in Vietnam. As he stated, Vietnam is one of the most vigorous provinces of the whole Congregations in terms of the consistent number of novices, newly professed members and the highest percentage of perseverance of the confreres. Moreover, due to the generosity of the Vietnamese confreres, the congregation was able to send a number of Vietnamese missionaries to different parts of the world, and they are doing well in whatever contexts and assignments.

Finally, the Rector Major declared his goals for the visit: to remind the confreres in Vietnam of the mind of Don Bosco and to set in their heart the fire of passion for the salvation of the youth, especially the youth at risk.

Let us pray that his goals be achieved and we pray that through the animation of Fr. Chavez, the fire of zeal of Don Bosco is spreading out more lively through the Sons and Daughters of Don Bosco.

THE FIRST SPEECH OF THE RECTOR MAJOR IN RESPONSE TO THE WELCOMING GREETING OF FR. PROVINCIAL

Xuan Hiep 9 April 2007 -- You look so serious. When the rector major visits the confreres, there would be a lot of joy. Are you in joy? [Yes!!!]

And now, you are awakened. First of all, I would like to thank Fr. John Baptist Them for his words of welcome. Especially, the whole province of Vietnam is meaningful for the whole congregation. Maybe you know that when I was elected Rector Major in 2002, I was invited to visit Vietnam on the occasion of 50^th anniversary of the Salesian Presence in Vietnam. But in the beginning, my agenda was full to the last days of my term. So at that moment, Fr. Luc van Looy came for the official celebration.

At this moment I was able to visit most of the provinces of Italian and Middle East Regions, those of Western, Easten of Europe, South Asia region, all the provinces of Africa, but three that I will visit in October. In the East Asia-Australia, all provinces have been visited except Vietnam. You know why? Because as the Gospel says, the last one is the best! [applause]

It is! And it is very much [true]. You are not only the most fruitful province of the Region, at this moment, you are the most fruitful of the whole congregation. And that means a lot for you. During the last few years, through the generosity of the confreres, we were able to send missionaries to different parts of the world. And these confreres are doing very well.

It seems that the Vietnamese confreres are able for all kinds of fields, for all kinds of works, for all kinds of contexts, because I have met Vietnamese confreres in Sudan, Africa. They are doing very well. They are hard workers, they are always in the midst of the young people, they are always availble to serve, they are marvellous. I have also met Vietnamese confreres in Italy, they are doing very well, for example, in the Province of Ligouri Toscana. But even in Hungary, the Provincial is very grateful to you. Due to you, due to the very Vietnamese missionaries, it seems that the Salesian presence in Hungary is coming back again. They seem even to succeed in learning the Hungarian language. You know, Hungarian is very difficult to learn, because it is a language so strange as Vietnamese that I could understand only a few words, like Jesus, Don Bosco, Amen, Alleluia.

They are doing so well also in Mongolia which is entrusted to Vietnam. The Catholic Church is growing, the number of Chrisitan people is growing. The Holy See, the Holy Father is very happy. The Holy Father wanted to visit Mongolia on the way to Moscow. But his trip to Moscow was cancelled. Hence, there was no visit to Mongolia.

Vietnamese missionary confreres are doing so well that we are prepapring two lay brothers to work in the Polyglott Press of Vatican where all the books written by the Holy Father and all the documents of the Holy See are published.

So at this moment, you are really presenting a marvellous gift to God, to all of us, to the whole Congregation. (Fr. Klement has arrived).

The presence of Vietnam is representing the most consistent presence in the whole congregation. It is not difficult to see the number of the novices, the number of the newly professed members, especially the average of perseverance among the confreres is the highest percentage of the whole congregation.

So, I am very grateful to God, and on behalf of Don Bosco, of the congreation, I would like to thank Fr. Provincial, and all the confreres. You deserve all our gratitude and our congratulations.

During my visit, I would like to remind you the mind of Don Bosco. Don Bosco is always a smiling man, because he was full of joy in his heart. He wanted the young people to be happy. Salesians are alway sympathetic. Young people always need to feel the youthful and loving sympathy of the Salesians. If your face is sad, the people are not close to you.

Like Don Bosco, I can tell you that I love you very much that I always pray for you. And I am still expecting a lot from this province.

At the same time, I am bringing to you the mind of Don Bosco, with great conviction, with great inspiration, with great hope, these are the most important, now. Everything could be summarized in the last letter of convocation of the General Chapter: The Salesian are called to awaken their heart with the fire, the passion of Da Mihi Animas, Cetera Tolle of Don Bosco.

So I am here to enlighten your mind and to set fire in your heart.

Everything is not only to strengthen the charismatic identity, but at the same time, to heat our heart with the passion of Don Bosco, for the salvation of the youth.

I hope that during these days, in different talks, in different meetings, I will be able to communicate all these things.

The visit happens in a very happy circumstance, the Otave of Easter, the most imporatnt days and season of the Year, it is the day of victory of the Lord. It is the moment we can say that we are free because even death has been overcome. That means the fountain of the whole Christian life and the Salesain life, because our mission main task is to bear withness to the ressurection of Jeus Christ, to bring the joy and the newness of life of ressurection, especially to the poor, the abandoned, the youth at risk. So, [I wish] the best for the Province during this joyful Season.