Tam Ha (Vietnam). On the afternoon of 27 April 2025, in Tam Ha, at the headquarters of Mary Help of Christians Province (VTN), Mother Chiara Cazzuola met more than 1,100 young people – including students, catechists, teachers, and workers – from all over northern, central, and southern Vietnam, and the distant land of Laos, where the FMA communities are present.
Together with the FMA, they celebrated in the World Feast of Gratitude Day with the theme: “Lighting the Gospel of Hope”. The encounter included three moments: Greet Hope, Touch Hope, Choos Hope.
Greet Hope
As young people of hope, the participants began the encounter with warm greetings to each other and to the world. With lively dances, engaging games, and cheerful singing rehearsals, they prepared to welcome the Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
With a video clip entitled, “The General Mothers of the FMA Institute through the centuries”, prepared by the Youth Ministry VTN, the young people have known the 11 General Mothers who have led the Institute in the last 153 years, from Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello to the present day. As a sign of gratitude, they prayed for those who are no longer with us, and offered prayers and wishes for those who continue to serve God and the Institute.
Reception of Mother
The participants and the FMA then joyfully welcomed with bouquets of flowers, dances, and songs, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, Sister Maria Assunta Inoue, Visiting Councilor; the Provincials, the Provincial Councils of the CIAO Inter-Provincial Conference, and the guests, a traditional Vietnamese gesture of hospitality.
To share the joy of meeting young people, Mother Chiara greeted them in Vietnamese: “Mẹ chào tất cả các con! Chúc các con buổi chiều vui vẻ!” (“Greetings to all my dear children! I wish you a happy afternoon!”).
In this family atmosphere, the young participated in a fun activity – The Secret Crossword Puzzle – and soon discovered the answer: “Flower of Gratitude”. The Flower of Gratitude symbolizes the spiritual offering that young people from FMA communities have been preparing for more than a month in preparation for the Feast, starting at the end of March. Through various activities, they are engaged in personal conversion as a gift to God and a gift for Mother, an expression of their gratitude.
The young people then invited Mother Chiara, Sister Maria Assunta, and the Provincials on stage, where a large lotus flower was placed, a symbol of gratitude. At Mother’s touch it opened, revealing many paper hearts with messages of gratitude from the young people.
The Show of Gratitude – “The Story of the Rice Drum” – was followed by the account of the journey of a piece of neglected jacfruit wood that, through the hands of an expert craftsman, was transformed into a drum, instrument capable of harmonizing the sounds that elevate the human spirit. Through this exhibition, the young people expressed their gratitude to the Institute, the FMA, and those who accompany them, helping them to give their best according to the will of God as good Christians and honest citizens.
After the show, a young man, accompanied by artistic performances, painted the characters of a message of thanks, a sign of gratitude to Mother Chiara and the FMA.
Touch Hope
The second moment began with the awarding of the writing competition, “Spreading Hope”, proposed by the Provincial Youth Ministry and Social Communication, from stories of witnesses who live and spread hope in the light of the Gospel and in the Salesian spirit.
Sister Maria Nguyen Anh Thi, Communications Coordinator, together with Maria Vu Thi Thuy Trang – Responsible for the SYM Team, introduced the jury and thanked them for participating:
“Of the 60 entries, 11 projects won prizes. In addition, some 33 others will be published on provincial media channels. Through various expressions, the authors conveyed their gratitude to God, appreciation for humanity, and perseverance in living with hope in various circumstances. Their messages, inspired by the Gospel and the Salesian spirit of St. John Bosco and St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello, are truly profound!”
Witnesses of Hope
The event continued with the Testimonies of Hope by Joachim Pham Cuong, Former student of the Private Vocational School Tan Tien – Don Bosco Tan Ha, and Ceicilia Thien Trang, student of the Hostel Hoa Binh, Saigon.
Dialogue on Hope
The young participants finally had a dialogue with Mother Chiara, asking her questions about hope. Mother began by saying, “First of all, I am really happy to be here, because being with you is marvelous. As I watched and listened, I thought you are really special! This is already a clear sign of hope.”
And she emphasized, “the value of each person, of each one, you must not underestimate yourself, because each one of you is a treasure and lives life as a treasure. (…) Know how to appreciate the gifts you receive – that which you receive from your family, from the Salesian environment – and feel that each of you has great prospects ahead of you. Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello taught us that we must walk with our heads held high, feet on the ground, but with our eyes turned to heaven, without feeling that we are alone, because the Lord holds us every day in the palm of His hand and never abandons us, even when we forget about Him.”
Mother then answered the questions of some young people, encouraging them to maintain a positive vision inspired by the Salesian charism and to live with hope, following the example of Pope Francis. “Be positive young people, who first of all try to be and give their best. Do not settle for things that have no taste; try to give depth and greatness to your life, and live every day as if it were the most precious treasure we have,” is the message with which she ended.
Holy Mass
After the dialogue with Mother, the Holy Mass was celebrated, presided by Fr. Barnaba Le An Phong, Provincial of St. John Bosco Province (VIE) of the Salesians of Don Bosco and concelebrated by the Provincial Councilors and various Directors of the Salesian communities.
In his homily, Fr. Barnaba shared with the young people the invitation to “Light the Gospel of Hope” and guided them towards the conviction that the resurrection of Jesus Christ triumphed over the greatest darkness of humanity: sin and death. “The Gospel of Easter is the Gospel of Hope, and the Gospel of Hope is Christ Himself. To ignite the Gospel of Hope, we must have the fire of the Gospel and the fire of hope. Our faith and hope do not belong exclusively to us; they belong to God and are nourished in community and communion.”
He also encouraged the young people to choose a meaningful path, to build relationships with others and, together with the Church, to keep alive the fire of faith, to nurture hope and live in authenticity.
Choose Hope
Before concluding the encounter, “Light together the Gospel of Hope”, the young participants celebrated the rite of the “Choice of Hope” as a commitment to continue their journey with a renewed spirit. At every intercession, they proclaimed: I choose hope in God. I choose hope for others. I choose hope in myself.
The encounter ended with an explosion of joy and with group photos together with Mother Chiara, immortalizing the memory of the encounter with her at the World Day of Gratitude 2025 in the Vietnamese Province.
Photos: Flickr FMA
