By Fr. Fei

Taipei, Taiwan, 26 February 2020 -- On Tuesday 25 February 2020, the Taipei Salesian Family gathered together in St John Bosco Parish to inaugurate the year-long celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Salesian Protomartyrs Saint Luigi Versiglia and Saint Callisto Caravario on Tuesday 25 February 1930. The year-long celebration was announced and called for by CIN Provincial Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen in his provincial letter of last November. The Taipei celebration was done in union of heart with the Rector Major Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime and the members of the GC 28 that we know did the same in Valdocco with the help of the CIN Provincial.

In the last few weeks, the Taipei St. John Bosco Salesian Community had been actively preparing for this great day: scholastics Anthony Leung Po Tak and Peter So Ming Hong decorated the parish church with relevant digital and photographic material, both historical and contemporary; scholastic Delphin Ndungu Kahemba and others contacted the members of the Salesian Family in Taipei (Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Salesians Cooperators, young people, and interested members of the St. John Bosco Parish).

The 90th Anniversary day began early at 05:30 a.m. with the sung Lauds of the Feast of the Salesian Protomartyrs, Saint Luigi Versiglia, Bishop, and Saint Callisto Caravario, Presbyter. During the Intercessions, prayer intentions were offered for the three circumscriptions that have our two Saints as Titular Patrons, namely: Timor Leste, Indonesia, and the Services Delegation. Meditation followed, after which the young Salesian scholastics hurried to the Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of Saint Robert Bellarmine for the second semester first day of class, delayed one week because of the Coronavirus emergency.

The 90th Anniversary day ended in the evening, when, after the sung Vespers of the Feast, the Good Night by Sc. Anthony Leung Po Tak about a Sister Announcer of the Lord’s memories about Bishop Luigi Versiglia, and supper, at 19:30 hours the 4-5 dozens Taipei Salesian Family members and friends gathered in the parish 3rd floor chapel for the Thanksgiving Eucharist. The homily was a repeat of the beautiful homily given by Pope St. John Paul II, on 15 May 1983, when he beatified our two protomartyrs.

In good local spirit, the Eucharist was followed by light night snacks, offered by the head of the local Salesian Family, Taipei St. John Bosco Salesian Community Rector and Taiwan Territory Provincial’s Representative Fr. Alphonsus Cheng Tai Kei. The snacks offer was a timely preparation for Ash Wednesday abstinence and fasting.

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