austraLasia #1764

Stalwart member of the Region (Fr Denis Martin) remembered in new book

HONG KONG: 18th February 2007 -- Fr Denis Martin sdb (1921-2006) has been immortalised in a bilingual book published as a result of efforts by past pupils from Aberdeen Secondary Technical School, Hong Kong, and the Provincial Office, China province. His brother, also a Salesian, Fr Laurence Martin, is one of the book's contributors. Its title: In Remembrance of Our Fr Denis Martin SDB (1921-2006). The work is published in Chinese and English.
    Fr Dennis Martin was born 14th October 1921 in Middlesex, UK.  Soon after completing his novitiate, he came to China (1940) and then spent 11 years in his beloved Shanghai, then Hong Kong and Macau.  Until the last years of his life he was actively engaged in the school apostolate, especially at Aberdeen, Tang King Po, Ng Siu Mui, and Yuet Wah and the Instituto Salesiano in Macao. From 1977-81 he was also Provincial Economer.
    Personal letters and reminiscences from some 50 past pupils and Salesians reveal a passionate teacher of English with a good command of both 'Shanghaiese' and Cantonese, but they equally reveal a wonderful father figure for his pupils.  Replete with many photos, extracts from his homilies, extracts too from letters of condolence at his death and from Fr Hon Tai Fai's homily at his funeral, this book has a bit of everything that made up such a fine Salesian missionary and adopted Chinese.
    Fr Denis Martin preached and practised love all his life.  His personal motto, broadly phrased, offers the motivation: Life is short, eternity is long. A happy eternity - learn to love, love God, love your neighbour. If you do not love your neighbour, you cannot love God, and if you love God, you love your neighbour. Love God, love Don Bosco. We must also love Don Bosco and respect Don Bosco's work - that is to nurture our youth and help them by following Don Bosco's principle of educating youth to become good citizens in society on earth and good citizens of heaven. Don Bosco's educational principles were based on love.
    The book concludes with an invitation to past pupils to contribute to the Fr Denis Martin Memorial Fund (scholarship program of the China Province). The book, which is published as an extra-commercial edition, 200 pages, and formatted like the DB China Centenary Book released shortly after his death, is available through the DB Past Pupils Association HK-Macau or from any Salesian community in HK and Macau.
       _________________
  AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.  To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia.