BAXH - Caritas Saint Mary: Lenten Apostolate Activities

Practicing the spirit of prayer, fasting and doing good deeds during the 40 days of Holy Fasting, right after entering Lent, the Caritas Steering Committee of Thanh Mau Parish plans, invites participation and calls for contributions. With the response of benefactors inside and outside the Parish, the Caritas Board planned to organize two apostolic charity activities during Lent.

Activity 1: On March 12, 2022, Caritas Parish brothers and sisters went to Da Quyn Parish, nearly 100km from Dalat, belonging to Da Loan Parish, to give 120 gifts to poor Churu ethnic people, belonging to the Da Quyn Parish. On this occasion, the Caritas District Executive Director also invited the Dalat Compassionate Heart volunteers group to join and prepare 140 more gifts for this charity trip. A total of 260 portions were given to 260 disadvantaged families of ChuRu compatriots at Da Quyn Parish (Da Quyn commune), parish priest of Da Taiwan - Father Giuse Nguyen Manh Khoa ICM.

Father Khoa also added that there are currently 4 assistant priests and 3 monks who are helping the Parish Priest to run and expand the mission field, to build faith and worship communities at 4 Missions of Ma Am, Ta Nang, Da Quyn of Da Loan Parish in Loan area communes. People give thanks to God and the group before receiving gifts. Everyone, including brothers and sisters of different religions, both the giver and the receiver receive a lot of joy and happiness when human love is brought together during the Holy Lent.

Activity 2: On the morning of the 2nd Sunday of Lent (March 13, 2022), Caritas Parish members continued to go to the homes of 48 sick people in the Parish to visit, pray and give Lenten gifts. Because there are currently many sick people or family members suffering from F0, you must comply with 5k. There are Caritas brothers and sisters who just stand in front of their house or yard to  wish good health, peace and give gifts, especially to elderly grandparents.

At the end of the afternoon, we had a moment to pray before the soul of our sister - Mrs. Maria Tran Thi Ly, expressing condolences to the bereaved family and praying that God would have mercy on Mary's soul to enjoy the blessings of Heaven.

The fee for 2 charitable activities is 92,500,000 VND (giving gifts to Da Quyn 31.5 million, visiting sick people 61 million)

Thank God for giving us the opportunity to concretely live the spirit of Pope Francis' Lent 2022 message: Lent is a favorable time for personal and communal renewal, a season that leads us to the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. During the 2022 Lenten journey, we will reflect on St. Paul's encouragement to the Galatians: "Let us not hesitate to do good; in due time we will reap, as long as we do not give up. So while we still have the opportunity (kairós), let us do good to everyone" (Gal 6:9-10).

May the invitation of the Common Father spread more and more to many people: conversion, change of mind, so that we can see the truth and beauty of life that does not consist in possessing but in giving, not in accumulating but in sowing and sharing good things.

Recorder

Peter Le Thanh Bao,

Head of Caritas Dalat Representative Board