The first Salesian to arrive in Vietnam was Fr François Dupont, a French missionary from Japan. He had been commissioned by Fr Carlo Braga to take care of an orphanage near Hanoi, before he was assassinated in 1945. He was helped by Fr Petit, another French Salesian missionary from Thailand. In 1952 Fr Antonio Giacomino and Fr Andrej Majcen, the latter now recognised as a Servant of God, arrived to take over Boys Town in Hanoi, which the then Rector Major, Fr Renato Ziggiotti, had accepted. Due to the unrest in the North of Vietnam after 1954, the Salesians moved to the South. It was only during Fr Egidio Viganò's terms as Rector Major that the Salesians, encouraged by the 7th Successor of Don Bosco, relaunched the Salesian presence in the North of the country, with the sending two Salesians to Hanoi in 1995. More recently, in 2019 the presence in the north became a Provincial Delegation.

Currently in the North Delegation of the Province of Vietnam there are 4 Salesian communities and 7 presences, animated by 50 Salesians. Due to their particular context, the Salesians have worked so far especially in parishes. Then there are 3 students of theology, 14 post-novices and 4 novices from the North Delegation.

The highlight of Fr Maravilla's visit was his pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine at La Vang, where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1798 as a powerful aid to persecuted Christians in Vietnam. There the General Councillor for the Missions entrusted the North Delegation to the help and protection of Mary. He also visited Fr Dupont's graveside in the Catholic cemetery at Ke So.

During this Extraordinary Visitation, Fr Maravilla used community discernment, with the three stages also used at the 27th and 28th General Chapters: attentive listening to understand the situation of the entire Provincial Delegation; interpreting the situation going beyond the surface and appearances to understand the deep causes; and finally tracing the path to follow by consolidating the positive aspects, overcoming weaknesses and strengthening the processes to help all presences grow in fidelity to their vocation and mission.

Before concluding, the Visitor met with the Delegation Council, the Provincial and some Provincial Councillors to exchange ideas and clarify impressions. On 2 May Fr Maravilla met all the Salesians of the Delegation for a full day of study on the current situation, analysing the strengths and opportunities, weaknesses and challenges in order to identify the possible root causes of the challenges that the North Delegation is currently facing.

Among other things, the Visitor initiated consultations for the new Delegate and new members of the Delegation Council. "You not only have a glorious story to tell in North Vietnam, but also a great story yet to be told!" the General Councillor said, inviting his confreres to "look to the future with hope and missionary zeal!"

The day ended with the Mass of thanksgiving presided over by the VIE Provincial, Fr Barnaba An Phong Le, who urged his confreres to move forward with hope. After the Eucharist, the Delegate, Fr Tran Van Hao, expressed his gratitude to Fr Maravill on behalf of all the Salesians, for having given clear directives to grow and deepen Don Bosco's charism in the north of the country.

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