The words of the Gospel of Matthew–“The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest”– became the motivation for the scholastics of St Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate in Vietnam. Recently graduated from Philosophy, they were inspired to promote vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life to young people in two Hanoi parishes, Hanoi (Xuân Lộc Diocese) and Châu Pha (Bà Rịa Diocese).

The harvest was indeed abundant, with more than 1,000 young people in attendance at the event held on the last week of April. The gathering opened with a Mass presided by Fr Peter Pham Cong Tung SJ, Minister of Sacred Heart Novitiate.

Through a presentation on Catholic vocations, the youth had a chance to understand the context of the Catholic Church and the various vocations. Vocation is a call in which a person is invited to reflect on his/her desires or dreams to recognise what God is inviting him or her to do.

Many intersesting questions were raised by the young people: What is vocation? How many vocations are there in the Catholic Church? How can we realise that we are able to live a consecrated life? How can we distinguish a religious from a seminarian? And what should we do to find a suitable congregation or to grow in our vocation?

Joining the Jesuits were the sisters of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ and the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, who used beautiful songs and joyful performances to introduce their respective spiritualities.

At the end of the programme, the participants competed in a friendly contest to help them review what they had learned. Before going home, each of them received keychains, bracelets and prayer cards as souvenirs.

In Vietnam, around 70 per cent of Jesuits are in various stages of formation. They hope that through these young Jesuits, more young people will be inspired to become labourers in the Lord’s vineyard. [Vietnam Jesuits]