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1. Formation Efforts:
Dong-Hanh had Exco meeting July 1-July 4, 2006 to discern direction for the
next few years. It seems we agreed on focusing our energy toward formation
to support existing communities, as well as to form new communities. We have
different groups that have different needs: youth/young adult groups, groups
with mixed ages, family groups. We need to have common directives for
formation, at the same time meeting each group’s particular needs. We would
like to continue forming guides for communities, spiritual directors for the
Spiritual Exercises. On another aspect, we would also like to help
communities make transition into apostolic communities. At the meeting, a
formation team was formed, which includes lay and religious members. Fr. Tri
Dinh, SJ, and Hao Truong will be the coordinators for this team.
2. How Dong-Hanh understands CLC as World Community:
Dong-Hanh as an entity has just been incorporated into CLC since July 2004
in Miami. Our individual members of the larger world community and are ready
to support its goals, ideals and way of life. More efforts need to be made
to make people aware of the larger World CLC Community.
3. We are consisted of youths, young adults, professionals,
families with children, and older, retired members. Our children are
considered members and these are being formed into CLC way of life and
meetings are being planned with their needs in mind. Youth groups are in
great need of leaders. We need to form leaders to guide them. An emphasis
will be placed in our formation for youth and young adults members.
4. Most youth/young adult communities have good relationships
with the adult
communities. They support each other’s apostolic efforts. The adult
communities try to support the youth/young adults ones in finances,
leadership training and providing retreat opportunities.
5. Dong-Hanh is in close relationship with the Jesuits
everywhere. Great
collaborative efforts are made in retreats and group formation. In most
retreats, the retreat team is consisted of lay and Jesuit members. As for
relationship with local church, it is different everywhere but most parishes
have favorable relationship with Dong-Hanh communities. DH members are key
people for different parish ministries, such as catechism, choir, organizing
retreats, youth ministry, etc...In areas where there is not close
relationship with local parishes, DH communities try to do more PR work, pay
attention to the needs of the people and try to respond to them
appropriately.
6. The initiatives that have been most exciting this year
:
a. The appointment of our new EA, Fr. Tri Dinh,
SJ in July 2006
b. Formation Team re-established under
coordinatorship of Fr. Tri Dinh, SJ and Hao Truong.
c. Our first Marriage Renewal Workshop for a
Vietnamese parish in New Jersey, Aug 12-13, 2006. This is a roll-out from
St. Madeleine-Sophie parish in Seattle , Washington. We sent 10 couples and
two priests there to attend the workshop, then worked together with the
Seattle team to adapt the program to Vietnamese culture. This is a
collaboration of lay and religious persons, across cultures, and parishes.
We will evaluate the outcome of the first one to prepare for the second one.
7. Most important focus of Dong-Hanh will be on formation. Our
leadership
conference in July hopefully will help set the tone and focus for formation
programs. This formation hopes to:
- help each member discover his/her own personal vocation
- transition and move members into temporary or permanent commitment
- move pre-communities into discerning apostolic communities.
- outreach to the people of Vietnam where CLC is still underground and is
in need of support in all aspects of life.
Report written by Kim-Anh Vu
Vice-President of Dong-Hanh CLC
July 10, 2006
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