Nearly 300 Catholic university students in the Thủ Đức Region gathered at the Jesuit scholasticate in Ho Chi Minh city for the opening ceremony of the 2026–2027 academic year.
The Catholic Students of Thu Duc Region (SVCG VTD) is a Jesuit-led ministry for university students residing in Thu Duc and guided by Ignatian spirituality. The ministry accompanies around 250 active young adults across five student groups and three dormitories towards holistic maturity along five pillars: faith, intellect, human character, fellowship, and apostolic mission.
The opening ceremony is one of the ministry’s major annual activities and marks the beginning of a new academic year of formation and community activities for Catholic university students in the region. The gathering seeks to foster a welcoming and supportive community in which young Catholics can grow together in faith, friendship, service, and personal responsibility.
The event held on 27 September began with a Mass to entrust the new academic year to God. The students then took part in a variety of activities, including cultural performances, the presentation of the Đắc Lộ Awards, and a message from the regional chaplain and the student leadership team. These activities created opportunities for students to strengthen friendships, develop a sense of community, and encourage one another in their faith and student life.
The programme also included a guided reflection, inviting the students to pause and look back on their lives and experiences and also look forward to the new academic year. The activity concluded with informal fellowship, conversations, group photos, and a collective effort to clean the premises.
