5169_The Rector Major’s Presence Makes Salesian Identity Sparkle

Taipei (Taiwan)

August 15, 2019

By Peggy Li

Taipei, Taiwan, 14 August 2019 -- The venerated and beloved Rector Major Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime at about midday arrived in St. John Bosco Parish, Taipei. At the gate, welcoming him, were the hundred children of the St. John Bosco Preschool and the Taiwan Salesian confreres who had all come to Taipei by an early train ride from Tainan, 300 km away.

Next the Rector Major, in the Don Bosco Hall of the parish, met the Taiwan Salesians (about 20 of them) for an hour, sharing recent news and basic concerns with them regarding the Salesian Congregation worldwide. In particular, regarding positive aspects, he spoke about the beauty of the Salesian Congregation, her basic health, her solid fidelity to the option for poor youth, her great effort in ensuring vocational discernment and accompaniment for the new generations of youth. Regarding problematic or challenging aspects, the Rector Major spoke of the need of greater effort in bearing witness to our identity as people dedicated to a life of special consecration, in attaining an adequate human maturity, in achieving a true life of fraternity, in combating the pitfalls of clericalism, craving for power, irregular situations…

The Rector Major’s sharing was followed by the family agape in the community’s refectory, during which the young Salesians sang the EAO vocational prayer “Cor Jesu sacratissimum”, authored by dying Blessed Michael Rua with Fr. Cerruti and put to music by Indian-Filipino Spanish missionary Fr. José Carreño.

At 16:00 hours in the St. John Bosco Parish Church the Rector Major met all units of the North Taiwan Salesian Family: Salesians of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Cooperator Salesians, young parishioners, and lay mission partners. The gathering was brightened by the presence of 92-year old Cooperator Salesian retired lively Archbishop Joseph Ti Kang. The Rector Major called upon all members of the Salesian Family to live out their common and unique Salesian identity in the context of their families, work places, and communities. At the end of the Rector Major’s sharing, the young people of the parish staged a pantomime about the growth challenges faced by today’s youth, the Saturday parish childrens’ choir sang three songs, one of them in the Hebrew language, and the Cooperator Salesians offered two songs deeply representative of modern Chinese ethos and culture. Before the photo-session, the Rector Major was asked to sing some Spanish songs accompanied by his guitar. This he did, in the company of his secretary Fr. Horacio Lopez, to the relish of all members of the Salesian Family, young and old. Before concluding, the Taiwan Salesian Family offered the Rector Major a financial contribution in support of the expenses involved in the formation work of young Salesians world-wide.

At 18:00 hours the Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven was celebrated by the Rector Major together with Archbishop Joseph Ti Kang and a dozen other priests. During the preparation of the Eucharistic gifts, Archbishop Joseph Ti Kang made an impassioned call to continue to financially support the formation expenses of the Salesian Congregation, in particular in the Africa Continent. Before the end of the Mass, the Act of Entrustment of the Salesian mission to Our Lady Help of Christians, made 100 years ago (1919) by Fr. Luigi Versiglia and his missionaries in Shiuchow and 70 years ago (1949) by Bishop Michael Arduino and his missionaries also in Shiuchow, was renewed by the Taiwan Salesian Family together with the 10th Successor of Don Bosco.

The splendid Salesian Family day was concluded in a Thai restaurant with a family agape, at which also the Archbishop of Taipei Msgr. John Baptist Hung Shan Chuan SVD graciously took part.