austraLasia #1904
Ravenna Festival honours Mons. Vincent Cimatti on his birthday (15th July 1879!)
RAVENNA: 16th July 2007 -- On Sunday 15th July 2007, at the ancient Byzantine mosaic Basilica of San Apolinare Nuovo, a large local and international crowd gathered to celebrate the Eucharist in honour of the Venerable Vincent Cimatti. Presiding at the Eucharist was the vice-postulator of the Cause, Fr Gaetano Compri. Mons. Cimatti had been Fr Compri's Rector in Japan and they lived in the same community together for seven years.
Other participants of note at the gathering included 10 concelebrating Salesian priests (amongst whom two vice provincials, on from Milan the other from Ancona, the EAO Regional, members of the Ravenna community), 3 Korean Sisters of Charity of Miyazaki, the Congregation founded by Cimatti, and 20 Japanese Catholic pilgrims.
The liturgy, besides recalling the Venerable's birthday, took place within the framework of the Ravenna Festival, a series of musical and other cultural events held in June and July of each year since 1990. The Festival president, Mrs Maria Cristina Mazzavillani, and her committee, were also present for the Mass. The central musical arrangements for the Mass were in fact a Mass written by Monsignor Cimatti (1879-1965), 'Saepe dum Christi', with additional pieces by Fr Lorenzo Perosi (1872-1956). The music was performed by the polyphonic choir 'Ludus Vocalis' directed by Stefano Sintoni. Comments on the Mass and Prayers of the Faithful were attended to by the Faenza Chapter of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, a group which has maintained its strong affection for its illustrious citizen and Salesian priest.
The event became very much a celebration of Cimatti, the model missionary. The EAO Regional, Fr Klement, drew on the Rector Major's letter on the EAO Region where this point was made explicitly. The Salesian Rector and Parish Priest in Ravenna, Fr Ivano Bicego, made a similar point at the conclusion saying that 'Monsignor Cimatti is now here with us, urging us to become ever more the missionary in our own land!'.
This year 2007, the Salesians in Ravenna are also celebrating their centenary of presence in the city. The Cimatti celebration was seen as an important element of this celebration. Commemorative stamps have been released by the Italian Post Office to record the centenary.
The event concluded with a luncheon offered by the Salesian community to some 400 participants at the event.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Ravenna Festival honours Mons. Vincent Cimatti on his birthday (15th July 1879!)
RAVENNA: 16th July 2007 -- On Sunday 15th July 2007, at the ancient Byzantine mosaic Basilica of San Apolinare Nuovo, a large local and international crowd gathered to celebrate the Eucharist in honour of the Venerable Vincent Cimatti. Presiding at the Eucharist was the vice-postulator of the Cause, Fr Gaetano Compri. Mons. Cimatti had been Fr Compri's Rector in Japan and they lived in the same community together for seven years.
Other participants of note at the gathering included 10 concelebrating Salesian priests (amongst whom two vice provincials, on from Milan the other from Ancona, the EAO Regional, members of the Ravenna community), 3 Korean Sisters of Charity of Miyazaki, the Congregation founded by Cimatti, and 20 Japanese Catholic pilgrims.
The liturgy, besides recalling the Venerable's birthday, took place within the framework of the Ravenna Festival, a series of musical and other cultural events held in June and July of each year since 1990. The Festival president, Mrs Maria Cristina Mazzavillani, and her committee, were also present for the Mass. The central musical arrangements for the Mass were in fact a Mass written by Monsignor Cimatti (1879-1965), 'Saepe dum Christi', with additional pieces by Fr Lorenzo Perosi (1872-1956). The music was performed by the polyphonic choir 'Ludus Vocalis' directed by Stefano Sintoni. Comments on the Mass and Prayers of the Faithful were attended to by the Faenza Chapter of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, a group which has maintained its strong affection for its illustrious citizen and Salesian priest.
The event became very much a celebration of Cimatti, the model missionary. The EAO Regional, Fr Klement, drew on the Rector Major's letter on the EAO Region where this point was made explicitly. The Salesian Rector and Parish Priest in Ravenna, Fr Ivano Bicego, made a similar point at the conclusion saying that 'Monsignor Cimatti is now here with us, urging us to become ever more the missionary in our own land!'.
This year 2007, the Salesians in Ravenna are also celebrating their centenary of presence in the city. The Cimatti celebration was seen as an important element of this celebration. Commemorative stamps have been released by the Italian Post Office to record the centenary.
The event concluded with a luncheon offered by the Salesian community to some 400 participants at the event.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
