In the spirit of giving this advent season the members and candidates of the Vietnam Mission have been generous this past month of December with their social outreach ministries. Earlier in the month, St. Gaspar House of Discernment hosted 10 First Communion students to an evening of retreat in our chapel. We provided hospitality to these young boys who came to us from an orphanage in our neighborhood. Our three candidates in Inquiry Formation minister on a regular basis at this adoption house for boys. I believe the boys enjoyed the cookies and popcorn that we provided during their breaks from catechism and prayer.
Those living at Xavier House of Formation reached out to the less fortunate in their neighborhood by providing food care packages later in the month. They hand-delivered these packages they put together at Xavier House bringing joy and smiling faces to our neighbors.
Finally, at the end of the month, five of our candidates in formation went on another medical mission with a group of doctors, nurses and pharmacists sponsored by Miss Quy, the owner of our property at Xavier House. They went to Tra Vinh Province to the town of Chau Thanh to Minh Hung village about 132 km from Saigon to give Christmas presents to 150 children and medical service to 300 poor people.