Caritas Da Lat: Week of Launching the "Together We" Campaign
CARITAS DA LAT: CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING WEEK “WE ARE TOGETHER – TOGETHER WE”
From September 26 to September 30, 2022
Responding to the call of Caritas International, as well as the Campaign Committee of Caritas Vietnam, Caritas Da Lat organized the "We are Together" Campaign Launch Week, to raise awareness and invite everyone to join hands to take care of the Common House.
The reason for launching this campaign is because of the deterioration of the Common Home and the threat of a global pandemic, which has a disproportionate impact on everyone, especially the poor, the homeless and the vulnerable. That's why the campaign slogan: “Act today for a better tomorrow.”
The campaign committee divided Da Lat Diocese into 5 areas corresponding to 5 meetings. The first day includes 2 parishes: Di Linh and Duc Trong, held at Tung Nghia Parish. The second day is the Madagui Ordinariate, held at Da Te Parish. The third day is Bao Loc Parish, held at Tan Rai Parish. The fourth day is 2 Dioceses: Don Duong and Da Lat, held at the Da Lat Pastoral Center. The last day is the Da Tong Parish, held at Phi Lieng Parish.
The campaign committee is accompanied by Father Phero Nguyen Trong Duong, Deputy Director of Caritas Vietnam and Head of the "Together we" Campaign Committee of Caritas Vietnam; Sister Anna Tran Thi Hang, Head of the Campaign Committee of Caritas Da Lat and a number of other collaborators.
The content of the launch includes 4 parts wrapped up in one morning: 1) Introducing the "We are Together" campaign, fueling the fire to commit to action on the basis of theology and the urgency of the environment, introducing the 3-year campaign of Caritas Da Lat; 2) Listen to the cry of the environment and the poor, share individual and group feelings about the concerns facing that cry; 3) Some typical Common House care models; 4) Suggest specific actions and answer participants' questions.
Part 1, Father Phero Nguyen Trong Duong introduced participants to the Campaign. Father explained that the logo consisting of different colored hands clasping each other around the earth shows that people across the Five Continents work together to take care of the Earth - our Common Home. Father emphasized that our Earth is our Common Home, so it needs to be cared for and protected. Care is both for the environment and for the poor. Based on two messages: Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti, Caritas International organized this Campaign on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Caritas' founding (December 12, 2021).
The campaign invites us to act together for 3 years (2021-2024). The first year aims to raise awareness for everyone to realize that our Common Home is deteriorating, so we need to be aware to protect it with specific actions. The second year features action at local and global levels. The third year evaluates and invites towards a better future.
So how to participate in this Campaign? Each diocese needs to establish local communities of care, to care for the Common Home, care for the poor, and be in concrete solidarity with those on the margins of society and the most vulnerable. It is necessary to take practical actions, change the way of thinking, adopt a common way of thinking, not an individual one; towards a comprehensive ecological conversion. This caring community is not just Christians, but everyone. It is necessary to promote the spirit of Caritas in every parish, because it is the basic spirit of Christianity and makes Christian charity flourish. Saint Pope John Paul II said: a new creation of charity as a pastoral tool of society and the Church.
The Bible tells us that God created the Garden of Eden beautifully and gave it to humans to control (that is, to govern, care for, protect and love), but due to sin, humans abused freedom and destroyed that beautiful atmosphere. The central question is asked: “What kind of world do you want future generations to live in?” Let's review ourselves: “What have I done to Mother Nature, in relation to all species, what is my responsibility?” The parable of the Samaritan pushes us to be merciful and give love to strangers on the street. The question for us would be: “Who is my neighbor?” “Which of these people do you identify with?” The story of the Good Samaritan still plays out today. There are many people who are still indifferent and indifferent; Is each of us a Good Samaritan? The only behavior to which we are called is to be like this Good Samaritan, to support, comfort and care for those who need us most. Let us act for a future of transformation and openness, communion, participation and synodality. A love without distinction.
Finally, three points to remember: 1) Raise awareness and prevent actions that are harmful to the environment: avoid purchasing or consuming products that damage the environment (see LS 210). 2) Learn how to show love and respect for life right from the family; Use things properly, be neat and clean, respect the local ecosystem and care for all creatures (see LS 213). 3) Admire natural beauty as a precious gift from God, thereby avoiding abuse when using it (see LS 215).
In Part 2, participants were first made aware of the Holy Father's and the Church's invitation to listen to the cries of creatures and the poor. Participants are helped to open their hearts to listen in specific situations. After about 3 minutes of silent reflection, the participants began to share on the spot in pairs, about the clearest cry I heard in the environment I live in. After finishing sharing on the spot, everyone is invited to share in a large group. Perhaps this is the part that impacts the audience's souls the most. There were cries that troubled the hearts of the apostles. Tears fell, choking and unable to speak before the suffering of fellow human beings; feel pain and helplessness in the face of environmental degradation. The cries and groans of the poor make the hearts of charity workers sobbing. That is also God's calling, that voice continues to move and urge the heart of each of us to respond. Thank God for the sincere sharing words of the participants, these words warmed the audience's hearts with charity and humanity; That is the beauty of love.
Part 3 introduces some models of caring for the Common House such as: praying together for creation, sharing learning about Laudato Si'; Waste-free parish model; coffee to weed model (say no to herbicides); Cooperative groups make dried bamboo shoots to raise funds to help the poor; charity kitchen model in hospitals (no littering); model of reusing plastic bottles to plant trees, build houses or recycle; models that encourage the use of solar energy; planting trees; dredging ditches and collecting trash; visiting lonely elderly people, etc. These are just typical models that the Campaign Committee introduces for reference. However, each locality, depending on its context, has different initiatives to take care of the environment and the poor.
At the end, each parish is invited to sit together, discuss and write down specific actions within their ability to protect the environment and care for the poor. This is like a commitment of the parish community to take steps forward “Act today for a better tomorrow.” In just one session, the participants were helped to become much more aware of the Church's call to care for the Common Home. May the sentiments of each participant be nurtured, nurtured and blessed by God to become fruitful. As the Holy Father said: …the cry of the earth and of the poor cannot make us wait any longer… God always forgives, people sometimes forgive, but nature never forgives. Each person with all responsibility should love and care for our country and homeland.
The week of launching the "We are together" Campaign ended at Phi Lieng Parish, Da Tong County. What remains are feelings of trust, hope and gratitude.
Minh Cao
