austraLasia #3092
China Province announces new Provincial
HONG KONG: 27 June 2012 -- In a letter dated 25 June, Fr Simon Lam, current Provincial of China Province, has announced to his confreres that Fr Lanfranco Fedrigotti will be the new Provincial, due to be installed as such on Saturday 11 August this year at the Salesian House of Studies where he is currently Rector.
Fr Fedrigotti will be well-known to other Salesians within the Region. He has been a frequent attender at meetings of the Region, over the years.
Fr Lanfranco's appointment might, in the language the racing fraternity, be called the Fedrigotti Superfecta or Pick 4! Albino, Bortolo, Giovanni and now Lanfranco - four priests, all SDB, all from Tiarno di Sotto, all having been appointed provincial at some stage of their life. Perhaps a little historical data on these can help put the most recent appointment into that kind of perspective, but not before mentioning that there is also a fifth Fedrigotti, another Albino, a Salesian Brother, long-serving member of the community at Colle Don Bosco. Lanfranco and Albino (currently at Colle) are the two surviving members of the group.
We need to go back to 1899, when Bortolo was born at Tiarno di Sotto. After joining the Salesians when he was 20, he then did most of his studies in the USA and was ordained in 1925. In the early 1950s he came to Australia and became the first provincial of that province in 1958, until he died in 1964.
Fr Albino followed much the same road as his brother, joining the Salesians with him, also going to the US and became provincial of the Western Province there in 1943, and a few years later of the Antilles Province, after which he was elected as a General Councillor and became Vicar of the Rector Major for twenty years. After that he stayed on in Turin and eventually Colle Don Bosco until his death in the mid 1980s.
Giovanni on the other hand remained in Italy, taking his first vows at Albarè (part of the then Italy-West Venice or IVO province). He became provincial of that Province in 1984 and in 1990 was elected as a General Councillor. He died in 2004.
And Lanfranco? He too started out at Albarè where he made his first vows in 1966 but by 1969 we already find him in Cheung Chau. Other than a brief reappearance at Albaré for final vows, he continued with his studies in Hong Kong and has been in China province ever since but for a brief sojourn at the UPS. He has been on the provincial council in recent years and is delegate for formation (initial and ongoing) and for studies.
China Province announces new Provincial
Fr Fedrigotti will be well-known to other Salesians within the Region. He has been a frequent attender at meetings of the Region, over the years.
Fr Lanfranco's appointment might, in the language the racing fraternity, be called the Fedrigotti Superfecta or Pick 4! Albino, Bortolo, Giovanni and now Lanfranco - four priests, all SDB, all from Tiarno di Sotto, all having been appointed provincial at some stage of their life. Perhaps a little historical data on these can help put the most recent appointment into that kind of perspective, but not before mentioning that there is also a fifth Fedrigotti, another Albino, a Salesian Brother, long-serving member of the community at Colle Don Bosco. Lanfranco and Albino (currently at Colle) are the two surviving members of the group.
We need to go back to 1899, when Bortolo was born at Tiarno di Sotto. After joining the Salesians when he was 20, he then did most of his studies in the USA and was ordained in 1925. In the early 1950s he came to Australia and became the first provincial of that province in 1958, until he died in 1964.
Fr Albino followed much the same road as his brother, joining the Salesians with him, also going to the US and became provincial of the Western Province there in 1943, and a few years later of the Antilles Province, after which he was elected as a General Councillor and became Vicar of the Rector Major for twenty years. After that he stayed on in Turin and eventually Colle Don Bosco until his death in the mid 1980s.
Giovanni on the other hand remained in Italy, taking his first vows at Albarè (part of the then Italy-West Venice or IVO province). He became provincial of that Province in 1984 and in 1990 was elected as a General Councillor. He died in 2004.
And Lanfranco? He too started out at Albarè where he made his first vows in 1966 but by 1969 we already find him in Cheung Chau. Other than a brief reappearance at Albaré for final vows, he continued with his studies in Hong Kong and has been in China province ever since but for a brief sojourn at the UPS. He has been on the provincial council in recent years and is delegate for formation (initial and ongoing) and for studies.
