MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –
Source: The Holy See in Italian
Ho Chi Minh City (Agenzia Fides) – The orphaned children of the home run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity in the diocese of Phu Cuong, in southern Vietnam, have been able to experience that “music heals the wounds of the heart”, explains to Agenzia Fides Fr. Dominic Nguyen Van Lam, a 40-year-old priest who followed a special musical initiative with orphaned children on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. “They are children marked by suffering and the deprivations of life. Music has given them back confidence and joy in living, which is expressed in the relationships between them, in the human relationship with teachers, in the relationship with the nuns, which is sometimes difficult. Music has been and will be an instrument of human and spiritual growth, capable of regenerating the virtuous circle of love”, explains the priest, who coordinated the “WYO4children” project, within the “Sounds of Brotherhood” initiative, promoted by the World Youth Orchestra Foundation (WYO), which this year arrived in Vietnam thanks to the support of the Italian foundation “Cassa Depositi e Prestiti” and other sponsors. As part of a cultural cooperation initiative focused on elements such as music, theater and art, tested as instruments of dialogue and peace between peoples and cultures, the project offered concrete support to orphaned and abandoned children in Vietnam, “to underline three fundamental words in life: friendship, brotherhood, peace” explained Adolfo Vannucci, president of the World Youth Orchestra Foundation. And so in the “Home of Mother’s Love” in Binh Duong, where about 20 nuns take care of 80 orphaned children and young people who have been abandoned or have difficult family situations, between the ages of 5 and 17 years, the children have attended musical seminars throughout the year, and in recent days gave a final demonstration of their musical skills. Father Dominic today emphasizes “the power of music, which has fostered positive changes in the children’s lives. Since they encountered music and began playing an instrument, they are happier and the results are also visible in their school studies. The atmosphere at home has become more joyful.” “Music,” continues the priest, “builds mutual love: not only has this journey helped the children to be more sensitive, on an internal level and in terms of relationships with others; but it has also helped me, the teachers and the nuns to rediscover the joy of love and care in sharing our time with them.” “The missionaries of charity testify to how the children’s lives have improved, especially because now everyone smiles. Music has been a means to recover the smile and openness to the love of God and neighbor”, he concludesIn the diocese of Phu Cuong, where 165 thousand Catholics live out of over 4 million inhabitants, the Catholic community is very attentive to charitable and social activities, working for disadvantaged or indigent people, and offering scholarships to poor students, an initiative that the local Bishop, Joseph Nguyen Tan Tuoc, wanted to extend to the “Home of Mother’s Love”, thus allowing children to attend school for free. The local Church offers accommodation and care to children of ethnic minorities from remote areas and is committed to improving their material and spiritual life. The “Wyo4children” project was set in this context. The World Youth Orchestra, which has 23 years of musical and social activity, is represented in 75 countries, has 300 international partners, including universities and conservatories, and has involved over 3,500 talented young musicians around the world. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/9/2024)
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.