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
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