austraLasia #2445

870 Years of God’s Life Gift Celebrated in Rice-Basket Bay

SHAU KEI WAN (HK): 23rd June 2009 --  On June 20th, 2009, the day of the 70th Birthday of Fr. Norbert Che Shiu Chung, ten other confreres (8 priests and 2 brothers) of the Shau Kei Wan cluster of communities (Salesian House of Studies, Braga House, and Casa Caravario), celebrated their “Great Birthdays” falling within this year 2009.
    In Chinese tradition, beginning with the 6th decade of one’s life, the birthdays falling on the decade-years (60, 70, 80, 90, etc.) are called Great Birthdays and are celebrated with special solemnity. The reason for this special name given to these birthdays in Chinese tradition is that- the Chinese being a very down-to-earth and practical people! -  there is the possibility, even probability, that beginning with the 60th Birthday, this may well be the last “decade birthday” of one’s life.
    Moreover, in Hong Kong, for the celebration of birthdays, we can choose to celebrate at the beginning, e.g. of one's 90th year, (following Chinese tradition) or at the end (following European tradition). That is how we arrived at a combined celebration for the 11 confreres celebrating their Great Birthdays together. Four of them celebrated their 90th Great Birthday, four others celebrated their 80th, Fr. Norbert his 70th, and two young men their 60th! Adding up the years of life celebrated we get 870 years.
    Amongst the 90-year olds there are: Fr. Bernard Tohill, the first Regional Councillor for the English-speaking Region and Councillor for the Missions; Fr. Alexander Machuy, the first Chinese Provincial of the China Province; Fr. Paolo Fong Ting Chung, the first Chinese Rector of the Province and confessor of the faith, having spent 37 years in detention for Catholic and Salesian fidelity to the Pope as the Vicar of Christ. So many years in prison did not stop him from reaching the 90th Great Birthday! Absent from the celebration, but present in spirit, was another confessor of the faith,  a brother who spent 35 years in detention. He is celebrating his 80th Great Birthday. We hope that he will be able to join us for the celebration of Don Bosco’s Great Birthday on August 16th.
    The celebration got off to a start with the Prayer of Vespers, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction, presided over by Fr. Simon Lam Chung Wai, the Provincial. In the sermon and Good Night Talk, Fr. Simon expressed his joy and gratitude to God for seeing the continuity of generations represented by the mixed assembly of old and young people. The solemn supper was held in the hall, adorned for the occasion by the “Tree of Everlasting Youth”, designed by one of the Great Birthday people, the 80-year old Bro. Emanuel Kung Kwong Kuen, and painted by the two young Vietnamese missionaries Ah Vu and Ah Phung, with the assistance of Bro. Paul Li Tung Biu.
    Songs, of course, could not be missing, some of them written for the occasion. Representing all the Great Birthdays, Fr. Norbert Che Shiu Chung spoke in moving terms about the care that Salesians in China, faithful to Don Bosco’s charism, are still offering to very poor children, orphaned of both father and mother.
    Miracle of miracles, notwithstanding such a concentration of Great Birthdays, the average age of the celebrating assembly was lower by a few percentage points than the average age of the confreres in the Province (62!). This was due to the presence of 8 young people (our 3 prenovices and 5 aspirants) who pulled the average age dramatically down.

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Title: australasia 2445
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces CIN Great Birthdays
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2445