Learning Exchange Session about the Global Campaign "Together - Together We" Dalat & Don Duong County

LEARNING EXCHANGE SESSION ABOUT GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS

“WE ARE TOGETHER – TOGETHER WE”

DA DAT DISTRICT – DON DUONG DISTRICT

Actively respond to the global campaign "Together we take care of the Common Home and care for the poor." On the morning of September 29, 2022, the weather was cold and rainy due to the influence of storm No. 4 Noru. More than 100 participants and representatives from parishes in Diocese of Dalat and Don Duong Diocese gathered at the Diocese of Dalat Pastoral Center to learn and share with each other activities in caring for and protecting the ecological environment and caring for the poor.

After the welcome and introduction of the participants by Mr. Le Thanh Bao - Head of the Caritas Dalat representative board, Father Gioan Bosco Hoang Van Chinh - Director of Caritas Dalat opened the study session on the topic "We are together" with the motto: "Act today for a better tomorrow". The main content of today's topic is taking care of the Common House and the poor together based on the teachings of Pope Francis in the encyclicals Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti, implemented specifically in each individual and parish community in the Diocese.

To carry out the global campaign "We are together" in a specific and practical way according to the goals and direction of Caritas Vietnam's activities, Father Peter Nguyen Trong Duong - Head of the campaign coordination committee of Caritas Vietnam shared: The theme of the campaign "We are together" with the purpose of “Action today for a better tomorrow”. The meaning of the campaign logo is with hands of different colors connecting lovingly and joining hands to care for and protect the Common Home.The implementation period according to the campaign roadmap will start from December 2021 and end in December 2024, according to the specific goals of each year of the campaign. The content of the campaign is based on the teachings of Pope Francis in the encyclical Laudato Si' on caring for our Common Home and the encyclical Fratelli Tutti on fraternity and friendship in society, with the determination to direct everyone to pray together, act together, care for and protect the Common Home together and care for the poor.

Next, Sr. Anna Tran Thi Hang - Caritas Dalat Office implemented the action plan of Caritas Dalat's "We are Together" campaign, with specific goals for each year and a number of implementation methods appropriate to the environment, based on initiatives and actual local conditions such as: Organizing Green Sunday week, establishing a community care model, maintaining and promoting social charity activities being carried out in parishes... With the wish, The "We are together" campaign is increasingly spreading to more people in the parish community and in the parishes of Diocese of Dalat.

In the next part, in the spirit of communion with Diocese of Dalat living the 2022 Season of Creation, Father Paul Truong Minh Cao, S.J suggested sharing about listening to God's voice, listening to the voice of creation through songs, games and through discussion questions: Discover the cries of the environment and the poor in your parish? Listen to some participants share about the cry in real-life environments in parishes. Father also shared a few videos and updated images of storm No. 4 Noru..., emphasizing that each of us cannot live alone, but each person needs to be aware of working together to build and develop the community right in their living environment, in each family, in the parish community in the spirit of companionship, communion, participation and mission of the Church.

In the conclusion of the lesson, Caritas Dalat collaborators introduced some community care models that some parishes have been implementing. After that, each individual made his or her determination, along with the participants to share and discuss in groups and parishes about the actual situation in their locality and parish in caring for the poor and protecting the ecological environment through specific activities.

The meeting ended with an intimate lunch in solidarity and interaction between the Caritas Fathers in charge and the Caritas Dalat Executive Board and the participants of the Diocese of Dalat and Don Duong Diocese.

May God grant us always to recognize the goodness and beauty that God has sown in the soil of our hearts, so that we can create bonds of unity and love in the family and in the parish community. We hope that each of us today is determined to work together towards taking care of the Common Home and caring for the poor for a better tomorrow.

TTMV Dalat, September 29, 2022

Sr. Ngoc Nhi, Dominic Rosa Lima