Children of Hòa Hưng Parish in the Archdiocese of Saigon gathered on May 11 to mark the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, with a festival that framed religious calling not just as a sacred path—but one that begins at home.
Held on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the event was anchored by the theme, “Family – The Seedbed of Vocations,” according to the archdiocese.
Organized by the Eucharistic Youth Movement (TNTT), the daylong celebration sought to introduce young Catholics to the beauty of religious life while highlighting the foundational role of the family in nurturing faith.
“Every vocation arises from Christian families,” said Father Phêrô Nguyễn Quốc Phong, parochial vicar and chaplain of the parish’s youth group, during the children’s Mass that opened the celebration.
“More specifically, within the family, children experience God’s love through the care and concern of their parents,” he added.
Drawing from Familiaris Consortio, the apostolic exhortation of Pope St. John Paul II, Fr. Phêrô reminded the children that “the family is the ‘domestic Church,’ where the love of God is vibrantly present,” a place that nourishes generations in faith, hope, and charity.
This year’s celebration coincided with Mother’s Day, bringing into focus the maternal role in fostering vocations. Children honored their mothers through songs and dances and presented tributes that described them as “gifts from God to every family.”
But the day was more than a celebration of family—it was an immersion into the life of religious vocations. Young participants met representatives from various congregations, including Dominican friars, Salesian Sisters, the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Phan Thiết, and the Redemptorists.
Through live testimonies, short documentaries, and interactive presentations, the children encountered a wide spectrum of charisms and missions—from education and youth ministry to evangelization and pastoral care for the poor.
“Do you want to go to heaven? Then what should you do? You must join the Redemptorists!” said one missionary priest in a playful but purposeful invitation, followed by a video introducing the congregation’s mission to serve the poor and abandoned.
One of the most striking presentations came from the Sisters of the Evangelical Light, a Japanese-Vietnamese congregation rooted in Ignatian spirituality and based in Hiroshima.
Founded in 1949, the order’s mission is “to take on the mind of Christ as our own” and to bring the Gospel to all through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In a noteworthy reflection on leadership and vocation, Fr. Phêrô cited the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, sharing a lesser-known detail about his upbringing.
“His father was once a youth group leader,” he said, “who guided his son in the life of faith. Since childhood, [the Pope] was drawn to celebrating Mass—a sign that his heart was already oriented toward the priesthood.”
The day concluded with an overview of the Church’s hierarchical vocations—from priests and bishops to the papacy—reinforcing the message that all vocations, whether lay or religious, serve a common mission to lead others to Christ.
“Supporting vocations is not only expressed through prayer,” the organizers said in a statement, “but also through material and spiritual support, helping priests and religious serve God and the Church, and care for the poor and those in need.”
The festival closed with laughter, dancing, and children joyfully dressing as priests and nuns for commemorative photos. But beyond the festive atmosphere, the deeper message remained: every child, in every home, is capable of hearing God’s call—if given the space to listen.
