In a country where education is considered one of the keys to success, graduation day is a significant occasion to celebrate. Over the past few months, as the academic year has come to an end, graduation ceremonies have been celebrated in different parts of the country, bringing smiles and joy to the faces of parents, relatives, and friends of the graduates. For some, graduation may be seen as just a ceremony, ritual, or social gathering. However, for those who have been part of the student’s journey, this is the culminating moment after countless sleepless nights and sacrifices. As a formative community, we can relate to these emotions and feelings of success that every student experiences. We also celebrate other momentous events in religious life, such as the Professions of First Vows, ordination, anniversaries, and renewal of Religious Vows, which invite us to be grateful to the Lord.
Culminating the formative year is a blessing not only for our seminarians but also for everyone who has been part of their vocational journey. Recognizing an individual’s progress helps motivate them to exceed their limits. By continually acknowledging a person’s capacity to succeed and achieve something in life, they can see their relevance in the Christian community.
During the First Profession of Vows of Novices Joseph Tran Dinh Phuc and Joseph Hoang Van Viet Phap, they were filled with a spirit of gratitude and generosity, dedicating themselves to the Mission. We congratulate them for embracing a road less traveled by today’s youth. We are also grateful for everyone who accompanied them during their initial formation years, including their parents, vocation promoters, formators, and all our mission collaborators and benefactors who genuinely supported them on their journey.
The year 2023-2024 was marked not only by the First Profession of Vows but also by the acceptance of our second postulants to the Novitiate, the admission of pre-postulants to the postulancy program, the graduation ceremony at the Divine Word Mission Seminary, and the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Fr. Pierpaolo Monella’s sacerdotal ordination, our local superior. The memories of these events are grafted in our hearts, reminding us of the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord. As human beings, we are all prone to making mistakes but witnessing God’s abundant grace, manifested in these events, allows us to offer prayers of gratitude to the Lord who never ceases to love us and calls us to be His disciples. With hope for the upcoming formative year 2024-2025, we ask for your continued prayers and support for our community. May St. Daniel Comboni and our Mother Mary continue to inspire and bless us on an endless road of self-discovery, filled with missionary enthusiasm and initiatives.
