From the 21st to 26th April, the Secretary General for Formation and Studies, Br Darko Tepert, and the Deputy Secretary, Br Hieronimus Yoseph Dei Rupa, made a fraternal visit to the Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Vietnam.
On the 22nd April they went to the Postulancy House, where they met the postulants of the Province who live in a friary located in a rural area in southern Vietnam, where they take care of a small farm.
On the 23rd April, Br Darko and Br Hieronimus visited the Novitiate in the city of Đà Lạt. Together with the 13 novices and their formators, they celebrated Holy Mass in the friary chapel; thereafter, the novices shared the story of their vocation and the reason why they decided to enter the Order of Friars Minor. The Franciscan vocation and identity were then discussed. In the afternoon, the Master of Novices showed the guests the 4 hectares of land, mostly covered with woodland, where each generation of novices tries to leave an imprint, preparing small places for meditation.
On the 24th April, in the city of Hồ Chí Minh, also known by the ancient name of Sài Gòn, in the district of Thủ Đức, a meeting was held with the numerous temporary professed friars, with whom it was possible to discuss again the issues concerning Franciscan identity. In the afternoon, Br Darko and Br Hieronimus met the Poor Clares, whose convent is located across the street from the friary. Br Hieronimus presided over the Mass, and then stayed in order to have a family meeting with the Sisters, sharing the experiences of their common vocation.
In the evening, also in the friary of Thủ Đức, the temporary professed and aspirants prepared a cultural programme.
On the 25th April, after the celebration of Holy Mass with the temporarily professed, aspirants and their formators, presided over by Br Darko, a meeting was organized with the aspirants, who spend two years in the friary of Thủ Đức before deciding whether or not to enter the Postulancy. On the same day, the guests of the General Curia visited the premises of the Philosophical-Theological Institute that has begun the process of affiliation to the Pontifical University of the Antonianum, whilst in the afternoon they met all the formators of the Province, together with the Vicar Provincial. In the evening they met with the Minister Provincial, Br Gioan Thiên Chúa Nguyễn Phước, who had just returned from his visit to Laos and Cambodia, where he accompanied the friars of the General Secretariat for Missions and Evangelization, Br Francisco Gómez Vargas and Br Dennis Tayo.
On the last day of their visit, the 26th April, accompanied by some friars of the Province, Br Darko and Br Hieronimus were able to visit the city of Sài Gòn, in particular its rich historical museum.
The visit was an excellent opportunity to learn about the reality of the Franciscan presence in Vietnam and above all the formation process that in recent decades has seen a great growth in vocations, but which, at the same time, must begin to think about how to deal with the changed social circumstances, linked to economic growth in the country.
