austraLasia 1444
Macau: Part I of the centenary high point
MACAU SAR: 12th February 2006 -- Colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th Century, Macau (the form 'Macao' was the original Portuguese spelling) is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, under which arrangement - the 'one country two systems' formula - it is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for 50 years except in defence and foreign affairs. Its market economy, like that of Hong Kong, also does not come under China's socialist system. But of course for Salesians, Macau is the beginning of Salesian work in China, and the Instituto Salesiano which dates back to 1906, is a material witness to that beginning.
On this first day, however, the Rector Major, after arriving by ferry from an early morning start in Hong Kong, went first to Bishop Versiglia School in Coloane (the furthest of two islands in the South China Sea that make up Macau. Macau itself is attached to China as the lower end of a peninsula). There after breakfasting with the Salesians and the paparazzi (Missioni Don Bosco Turin TV crew), he saw the Youth Centre which specialises, amongst other things, in adventure-based group counselling. This is a government supported program for all public school students in the SAR. The entire cohort of LV school students were on hand to welcome the Rector Major - and show off their wall-climbing skills!
The centrepiece for the morning was the encounter with the Macau-Hong Kong 7-branch Salesian Family (there are 24 branches in all worldwide). Fr Chávez highlighted his role as Father of the family and Don Bosco as the charismatic point of reference. He pointed out how Don Bosco, although being the founder of three groups, was also the founder of a vast movement and had not initially set out with the intention of founding a Congregation but rather a vast movement of people with passion for the salvation of youth. The Rector Major took three key terms - apostolic, spiritual, movement, and developed each. Salesian is a spiritual movement in the first instance, he said, a fruit of the Holy Spirit rather than Don Bosco's cleverness. With the Holy Spirit as our leader we can confront materialism and individualism which are the greatest dangers for the Salesian Family in China. 'Apostolic' on the other hand makes us missionaries - not a Lion's club missionary but an apostolically, spiritually moved missionary movement of the kind we celebrate today in this centenary, when the Martyr, St. Louis Versiglia arrived here in 1906. We are, then, also the fruit of martyr's blood.
He urged the Salesian Family to grow and be united, to come together and indeed to set up a functioning Salesian Family Council. After lunch at Don Bosco Yuet Wah Primary, later in the afternoon he went to the Millennium Hall at Yuet Wah College for the Centenary Memorial Mass - but that deserves a second report, later in the day.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
Macau: Part I of the centenary high point
MACAU SAR: 12th February 2006 -- Colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th Century, Macau (the form 'Macao' was the original Portuguese spelling) is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, under which arrangement - the 'one country two systems' formula - it is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for 50 years except in defence and foreign affairs. Its market economy, like that of Hong Kong, also does not come under China's socialist system. But of course for Salesians, Macau is the beginning of Salesian work in China, and the Instituto Salesiano which dates back to 1906, is a material witness to that beginning.
On this first day, however, the Rector Major, after arriving by ferry from an early morning start in Hong Kong, went first to Bishop Versiglia School in Coloane (the furthest of two islands in the South China Sea that make up Macau. Macau itself is attached to China as the lower end of a peninsula). There after breakfasting with the Salesians and the paparazzi (Missioni Don Bosco Turin TV crew), he saw the Youth Centre which specialises, amongst other things, in adventure-based group counselling. This is a government supported program for all public school students in the SAR. The entire cohort of LV school students were on hand to welcome the Rector Major - and show off their wall-climbing skills!
The centrepiece for the morning was the encounter with the Macau-Hong Kong 7-branch Salesian Family (there are 24 branches in all worldwide). Fr Chávez highlighted his role as Father of the family and Don Bosco as the charismatic point of reference. He pointed out how Don Bosco, although being the founder of three groups, was also the founder of a vast movement and had not initially set out with the intention of founding a Congregation but rather a vast movement of people with passion for the salvation of youth. The Rector Major took three key terms - apostolic, spiritual, movement, and developed each. Salesian is a spiritual movement in the first instance, he said, a fruit of the Holy Spirit rather than Don Bosco's cleverness. With the Holy Spirit as our leader we can confront materialism and individualism which are the greatest dangers for the Salesian Family in China. 'Apostolic' on the other hand makes us missionaries - not a Lion's club missionary but an apostolically, spiritually moved missionary movement of the kind we celebrate today in this centenary, when the Martyr, St. Louis Versiglia arrived here in 1906. We are, then, also the fruit of martyr's blood.
He urged the Salesian Family to grow and be united, to come together and indeed to set up a functioning Salesian Family Council. After lunch at Don Bosco Yuet Wah Primary, later in the afternoon he went to the Millennium Hall at Yuet Wah College for the Centenary Memorial Mass - but that deserves a second report, later in the day.
____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
