On 25 October, 25 young people officially gathered for the inaugural meeting of MAGIS Vietnam. Following careful discernment and interviews, the participants embarked on their first formation year, titled “For Oneself”, with the core objective of profoundly understanding Ignatian spirituality and preparing for MAGIS and World Youth Day 2027 in South Korea.

With the dedicated guidance of Fr Paul Nguyen Huu Phong SJ, Deacon Dominic Phan Van Quynh, SJ, and Scholastic Joseph Tran Van Quan SJ (fourth-year theology), young people were introduced to the comprehensive MAGIS roadmap, becoming acquainted with the “self-processing” method and the importance of building a “Unity of Hearts” community.

The programme extended beyond the lectures into the quiet grounds of the Betania Retreat House. There, the participants were guided in spiritual conversations in pairs and small groups. The “MAGIS Circle” was a particularly meaningful experience: a time to open their hearts, practise empathetic listening, and share their spiritual experiences and inner movements with complete sincerity, under the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

The summit of the gathering was the Thanksgiving Mass, offered in prayer for the first steps of MAGIS Vietnam. The sight of the 25 participants joining hands with the Jesuits around the altar perfectly captured the spirit of companionship among those who call themselves “friends in the Lord.”

The meeting concluded with joy and a burning desire to journey together in knowing God, the world, and humanity more deeply, in the light of the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola. The participants departed with concrete commitments: practising the Examen for 15 minutes daily, keeping a spiritual journal, choosing and meeting with a spiritual companion once a month, and preparing to become “men and women for and with others”.