Dominican Family Extravaganza
BIEN HOA, July 21st, 2019
Capitulars and guests had morning prayers half an hour earlier than usual, at 6:30 am. Then after the breakfast they proceeded to the convent of the Dominican Sisters of St Catherine of Siena in Bien Hoa where there was a cultural extravaganza prepared by 270 sisters and brothers representing different 17 Dominican congregations in Vietnam.
Their 90-minute musical dance performance evoked feelings of nostalgia and strong emotions of the Dominicans’ missionary vocation. Are we living as witnesses of faith and love as did our forebears?
The Mass of the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time followed, celebrated by Dominican friar Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, the first Bishop of Ha Tinh Diocese, and concelebrated by the former master of the Order, Bruno Cadore, and thenewly elected master, Gerard Timoner. During his homily, Brother Paul said the 290th General Chapter and the new master’s election were historic landmarks of the 800-year-old Order. Taking the images of “anxious and worried” Martha and “listening” Mary, the preacher urged the capitulars while understandably busy carrying out their responsibilities not to forget “listening to the Word of God” as the first priority in our Christian and Dominican vocation. He saw that task as the most essential choice Dominicans should take to meet the needs of today’s society, in Vietnam as well as in the world. He questioned if we could discern and rightly intepret the signs of the times. He expressed his hope that the young sisters and brothers who had earlier captured the history of the Dominican mission so vividly might now complete the work begun and handed on by their forebears.
After the Mass, there were food stalls served by Dominican Sisters. Around 1,170 guests attended the Dominican Family Day, not counting the hosts. The capitulars and guests returned home at 3:30 pm, joyful and inspired for the future mission.
