Conference to learn Caritas spirituality by Caritas Duc Trong District
To better understanding Caritas spirituality and to create a relationship between Caritas parishes in the Diocese and with Caritas Da Lat Diocese, Caritas members of parishes in Duc Trong District had a study session on Saturday morning May 8, 2021 at Nghia Lam Parish, Duc Trong District.
Present were District Vicar(supervisor) Joseph Nguyen Van Bao, Father Anthony Dinh Quang Thai, District Caritas Officer, nearly 80 Caritas Members from 10 parishes in the county, representatives of the Caritas Dalat Diocese Office and representatives of the Caritas Da Lat District.
With the spirit of urge to learn, the participants (TDV) were present in large numbers very early in the morning. The program began with the welcome and opening words of Father Anthony, District Caritas Officer. He thanked the participants who had actively responded to Caritas District's invitation to participate in this study, and wished each of them to understand, love, and be more imbued with Caritas spirituality and to live Caritas spirituality in a creative way, specifically, to Glorify God through service in “love and charity”. He also thanked the representative of the Caritas Dalat Diocese Office and the Caritas representative of Da Lat District for had being ready, had arranging to be present and had sharing in this meeting.
Following the program, Caritas Diocese (CGP) shared the identity and mission of Caritas members, along with the vision, mission, and activities of the CGP Da Lat being carried out. Caritas Vietnam charter and how to join Caritas members were also presented in the morning.
In order to work together in a spirit of unity, solidarity and spread, Father Anthony introduced the roles of the district Caritas Representative Board as follows: (1) Creating solidarity among Caritas parishes in district; (2) Caritas network development; (3) Organize knowledge training to improve the capacity of Caritas Members in the district; and (4) Associate with the Caritas Diocese office to organize events in the district. At the same time, the participants also learned about the program of Caritas District so far, as well as the direction of activities in this year 2021.
Representatives of Caritas Da Lat District and a number of parishes in Duc Trong District also sincerely shared about the activities that the units have been done and carrying out. In which, there are some outstanding activities such as the celebration of prayer and mass at the fetal cemetery, or the ecumenical campaign to clean up the environment by Caritas of Da Lat district... Microcredit programs; study promotion fund; provide hand sanitizer, masks to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic; and activities to visit the lonely elderly, the poor, the sick are symbolic activities of CGXs in Duc Trong county.
The atmosphere of the meeting became more lively with the presence of Fr Joseph Bao, the Vicar/ Supervisor of District. The members felt the care, support, companionship and courage from him. He reminded Caritas members when doing charity work, serving the poor, the sick, the abandoned, … we must do it in the name of Jesus, not in the name of themselves or anyone else. You have sacrificed your work, material and spiritual wealth, time and effort to serve the poor and take care of the environment with the hope of getting better and better.
The meeting, learning and sharing session ended after a fraternal meal. Thank be to God for giving Caritas Duc Trong District members a useful learning and sharing session among us, this was an opportunity for each members to confirm their vocation: as Caritas members, we are messengers of God’s love and as a witness to the Gospel, to make people know and live in God's love. This was also an occasion for each Caritas members to respond to the Lord's call, to commit themselves to the peripheries, to serve everyone in love and charity, in order to help each other to promote and spread Caritas spirituality to more people, to more places.
Anna Dang Thi Kim Tuyen
Caritas Representative Duc Trong District