Pandemic has brought us together as never before
By Mr. Allen CHAN,
President of St. Louis Old Boys' Association
Hong Kong, China, 26 April 2020 -- In these times of trial, we Salesian past pupils haven’t forgotten our dear superiors. We owe a lot to these dedicated followers of Don Bosco. After the Second World War, at a time when this part of the world was poor and secondary school education was not a right but a luxury, the Salesians helped educate tens of thousands of young people in Hong Kong and Macau. Many of these young men came from backgrounds where poverty was the norm. The Salesians did their best to form them into upright citizens and good Christians, training them to be active participants in the life of the local Church and society.
Today, these past pupils, and their younger brothers, form a dedicated and devoted group. They are keen to reciprocate the love, care, and education they have received from their alma mater and their Salesian mentors. In 2020, this mission of the past pupils is especially true, when the Salesian Family around the world is hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world in the last few months.
As a past pupil of St Louis School and current President of the St Louis Old Boys’ Association, I am privileged to work together with various other members of the Salesian Family in Hong Kong and Macau, to mobilize past pupils, leveraging our network in the business community, medical and other professionals, to come to the aid of the Salesians, locally and globally.
The pandemic has brought us together as never before, as we are working closely with the Salesian China Province in procuring emergency equipment for the Salesian confreres, as well as teachers and students in the local schools: items such as surgical facemasks and hand sanitizers, which are indispensable in containing the spread of the virus. At the same time, funds have been transferred to Italy and Spain, and batches of surgical masks have been dispatched to the Salesians in Rome, Milan, and India to serve their urgent needs.
In taking up what essentially is a mundane task, we also realize that we are called, as past pupils, to participate in the great work of making Don Bosco’s dream come true: sending Salesians to serve Chinese youths on Chinese soil.
May God bless you all, through the intercession of our blessed Mother, Mary Help of Christians, and our beloved friend, Don Bosco!
Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
May God bless you all! Thank you.
