Pilgrimage of the Holy Company of the Children
Did the group "đàn tranh" of the Holy Company of the Children of the Christ of the Mission Vietnamese of Paris take part in the great "Meeting of the Faith" with children Ngọc Trâm, Ngọc Thảo, Cao Loan, Cao Linh, Cao Hưng, Kim Dung, Như Lan, Năng Long. With their parents (Our friends Nhân – Kim Thanh – parents of Kim Dung and Mỷ Ly – mom of Trâm Thảo) to occupy itself of the group. During three days, the children have creates a pride for the Christian community Vietnamese presents on the spot vis-a-vis at the other groups of pilgrimage of other countries with their traditional musical instruments during the masses. In spite of their youth, of less than 10 years to 18 years, during the representation, each one could show their dexterity to handle the traditional instrument, the music which is emanated from it mixes with the sound of accordions and the voices of the choral society to the church of Our Principal Injury, or with the church of Saint Peter, each spectator undoubtedly saw one of the provided quality of work and the drive.
It is true, during one year of preparation, the children could involve with their instrument "đàn tranh" regularly each Saturday evening after the mass. Thus, arrived to Rome, certain pieces were already learned, some are to be involved on the spot, fortunately the majority of the children can read the notes, this facilitated the training. To be able to involve itself on the spot, Our Father allowed the group to do it in the common room of papal study. Of this place, the children could discover a pleasure of observing the landscape of a very high place, they could see the roof of the church Saint Peter and especially of being able to be made take in photograph with Our Father in front of the study hall, privilege which is not given to no matter whom.
During the masses, the Thắng Father of the radio of
Didn’t the group đàn tranh of the Children forget to thank Our Father Mai Đức Vinh, director of the Mission of Paris, Đinh Đồng Thượng Sách Father, Nguyễn Văn Thể Father in Lyon, Tiên Father, sister Kim Anh in Toulouse and brother Lê Đình Thông, ecclesiastical office’s representative who helped, encouraged as well at the moral level as material for the voyage.
Three days of great meeting, the Vietnamese catholics flowed of everywhere to meet and be reinforced in the faith to maintain their religious life in a current company filled with hatreds, and separations. The town of Rome saw pressing the steps of this population Vietnamese for the second time in this place old and beautiful, let us hope that it will be happy to accomodate them the next time and other times still…
What made the children happy before leaving Rome for Paris, it is that a musical instrument "đàn tranh" remained, and sister Thắm is involved to play during the mass, thus, besides her accordion, sister Thắm could make divide with faithful the music of the "đàn tranh" through songs chocolate éclairs like made the Children of the Christ of the Mission of Paris.
Before I stop, I allow myself to publish the poem The Faith of Lê Đình Thông :
It is with the Mission the capacity to guide it
To meet in the love
To meet in the equality the sharing and the tolerance
The ecclesiastical Mission must have
Only one heart fidelity
This poem was put in music of which here words :
Ô My Lord you who are with the Heaven
Us your faithful are on earth and venerate you
We show you Our Faith in you loved Lord
Us to listen to each one and to be merry are our only bonds
Us your faithful pray to perpetrate
Peace everywhere and we swear to transmit it
Phương Oanh, October 2003