First we dealt with the prologue to the Acts of the General Chapter. The document is six to seven pages long and it went through the vote of the general assembly with just to amendments. It had previously being submitted to suggestions and recommendations of the assembly and most of the suggestions had been incorporated into the text. The main topics presented in the text are: Importance of Synergy and mission; Life-Mission Synergy in St. Dominic; Life-Mission Synergy in the Dominican project; Obstacles to Life-Mission Synergy; conditions for Life-Mission synergy; Horizons and Challenges Posed by Life-Mission synergy; Conclusion.

On Friday things were more complicated as we dealt with the topic of preaching, under the title Synergy of Life and Mission Challenges and the renewal of Preaching. There were many amendments and long discussions, due to the fact that a number of issues had already been taken up in one way or another in the documents of previous commissions. Nevertheless the topics were quite interesting: What do we preach, Where do we preach (context of preaching); Multi-cultural universe, religious illiteracy and fundamentalism. Agnostic, atheist or indifferent universe, social and existential peripheries; communications, social networks and the digital world; to whom do we preach? Forums of the apostolic Life; How do we preach? The Tone of Preaching; How is a Preacher Formed?

After that a word of thanks to all those who had help during the chapter, particularly the student brothers of the Province in Vietnam who worked day and night so that things could run properly. They received a recognition on the part of those in attendance.

Then it was the turn for the translators who contribution in a chapter is very important to translate, both in the assembly and the texts elaborated by the commissions. There will be still a tedious work to be done before the official text is published.

Then the Mater addressed the assembly to thank all those who had participated at the chapter and to present the road map for the 9 years he is expected to be in office. Obviously, the work to be undertaken is not the work of the Master but the work of all the members of the Order. However he centered his reflection on some topics discussed during the chapter: cooperation, preaching, Cooperator Brothers, abuses and, finally, communion in the Order and in the communities.

In the afternoon we left the seminary for good and moved to the Priory of St. Martin in Bing Hua that is the seed of the chapter. Most of the members were accommodated at the place but a number of them were sent to the house of the sisters since we did not have enough rooms for all.

Finally, this afternoon we move to Ho Chi Minh City and tomorrow morning we flight back home. Some will leave tonight already!

Today we held the closure of the Chapter at Bien Hoa. Convent of St. Martin. at 9:00 a.m. we have the solemn mass to close the chapter and during the mass 21 brothers of the Province have  made the solemn profession in the hands of the Master of the Order. A large crowd of around 12,000 people was in attendance. The weather was nice, windy but sunny and the rain did not disturb the celebration. The choir was very, very good . After the celebration we enjoyed lunch together.