Graduated as a teacher at 19, Andrej was too young to get a job. Unemployment was unbearable for him. His mother kept praying to Our Lady in the nearby church of the Capuchin Fathers, and her prayers were unexpectedly granted, thus making a decisive turn in his life. Hearing that Andrej was unemployed, an ancient teacher of his who had become a school inspector found for him a teaching post in the school of the Salesians in Radna. The Salesians here had near their formation house an elementary school for children who had lost their parents during the war and who were entrusted by the government to the Salesians’ care. Getting his salary for the first time in life, he immediately wanted to send 100 dinars to his mother but she refused to take it. The Radna castle had been bought by Don Rua several years before; it was surrounded by a very lovely park. It was there that the Polish and Austrian Salesians were received first, and then after the war, it was there that the first novitiate house in Slovenia was erected by Father Provincial Tirone.

Andrej had never known the Salesians before, but their gentleness, their cheerfulness, their seriousness in study and their profound devotion greatly impressed him and made a big change in him. While he had been suffocated by the unhealthy atmosphere at the Teachers’ College previously, now in Radna he could enjoy serious learning, joyful work in the vineyards and in the fields, and happy festivals and solemn processions. He heard a veteran missionary speaking on the missions in America and on the great figure of Cardinal Cagliero. All this made him imagine the large extent of the Salesian Congregation.

One day the teacher Fr. Knific asked him if he wanted to learn Latin, that is, if he wished to become a priest. In fact, that was the germ of his vocation. He first told this to her mother who felt extremely happy, but he did not dare to tell it to his father who dreamt of a teaching career for his son. Later on, however, seeing the beneficial atmosphere at Radna, his father gave his consent too.

In August 1924, Andrej asked Fr. Provincial Tirone to admit him to the novitiate. The Provincial asked him: “Do you love Our Lady?” Without hesitation he replied: “Sure, Father.” And Father Provincial told him in Slovene: “Very good. Please ask the government to let you quit your teaching post and prepare yourself to enter the novitiate in September.” And so he applied to the Provincial for admission and was accepted.”

chapter 2: ten years of salesian life

in Ljubljana (1924-1935)

On August 31 1924, Andrej entered the novitiate in Radna. On September 8, he went to Ljubljana together with other fellow novices. Cardinal Cagliero would consecrate the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in the city town of Rakovnik, in Ljubljana. All the novices were eagerly making preparations for the consecration rites, and so they had the opportunity to see Cardinal Cagliero and listen to his conference on Don Bosco’s testament: “Work, work, together with the curses against the slothful.”

The donning of religious habit had been scheduled on September 11, and Cardinal Cagliero was expected to preside over it in the great expectations of the Salesians and the people in Radna. But due to the fatigue after so many ceremonies on the days before, the Cardinal could not be present, and the Superior Councilor Fr. Fascie had to perform the rites instead.

Fr. Majcen recorded about his novitiate: “That year, in spite of some contamination of previous liberal ideas, was and still is for me a complete renewal: a taking off of my old self to put on the spirit of Don Bosco. From then on this source of spirituality came back to my memory again and again, especially in 1960 when I started the first novitiate in Vietnam as a novice master.”

Andrej made his first profession on October 5 1925, feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The profession day had been delayed for a month due to the absence of Father Provincial.

The year 1925 was declared by the Rector Major Fr. Philip Rinaldi as the “Year of Mission”, and the cleric Andrej, by reading on the Bollettino Salesiano the articles of the missionaries (including those of Fr. Kerec), felt himself imbued with these saintly sentiments.

After his profession, the cleric Andrej was sent to Ljubljana as a student ofLatin and philosophy and as a teacher of the trade students in a school there.Apart from this task, he translated German textbooks into Slovene to teach technical subjects, and during summer holidays, he also took a professional course organized by the State so as to get competences in teaching technical drawing and technics.

In September 1928, his father—who grew ill day after day—called him back home for a family gathering on the 8, his mother’s birthday. Only with difficulty did he get permission (the religious discipline was very strict at that time), and he came back to the great joy of the whole family with whom he posed in a photo wearing his cassock for the first time. On October 10, he received a telegram telling him his father was going to die. He hurried back to his father’s deathbed. The moribund was in a coma but still conscious. The parish priest prompted him to say brief invocations and the Our Father three times. He was in agony. When his father began to breathe with difficulty and was at the point of death, he was carried to another room. And he died a moment later.

Back to Ljubljana in 1929, he began his theological studies while continuing to teach at the school that was currently having so much difficulty with the technical instruction. The official teacher of this subject had just died. Besides, Andrej’s health was not very good: that was partly why he found this year very difficult. But his patience was up to the point that he satisfied even the most demanding pupils.

He was ordained priest in 1933, and after his first Mass, he was nominated prefect of studies and member of the House Council, responsible for the vocational training department of that school. In this new office, apart from his previous engagements, he had to run this department and other extramural activities, including the responsibility for the Don Bosco Association of “very different types” of pupils. Father Majcen later would write: “That was truly a good practical training period for my future missionary ministry.” His missionary aspiration grew higher and higher, especially after the martyrdom of Bishop Versiglia and Father Caravario. Nevertheless, in spite of his repetitive applications for going to the missions, he only received a “No” from his Superiors. In May 1925, however, the way to missions was open before him: The Freemason regime in Belgrade ordered to close all private vocational schools. Even the school in Ljubljana suffered the same fate. That was a carpe diem for Don Majcen. He again applied for the missions, and he was accepted this time.

chapter 3: beginning of missionary life in china before world war ii (1935-1938)

Fr. Majcen went home to say farewell to his mother. Very sad, his mum said: “Why should you leave me at this very moment when I’ve lost your dad?” Fr. Majcen could not find the words to answer. But looking into his tearful eyes, his mother understood the internal fight between his love for her and his duty. “Alright, go wherever God calls you to,” she said. “Keep this blessed crucifix as a souvenir and kiss it frequently. Try your best to be a good priest and a good missionary.”

After the farewell ceremonies in Ljubljana, he left his country which he would not see again for many years.

On his arrival in Turin, he embraced Father Rector Major, and listened to the conference of the General Prefect Fr. Berruti to the missionaries.

He recorded these four thoughts: “1. Become Chinese with the Chinese. 2. Never speak about your own country, at least within two years. 3. Admire everything that is good in China. 4. Frequently read and reread Don Bosco’s recommendations to the Salesian missionaries.”

On September 11 1935, Fr. Andrej left the port at Trieste together with other missionaries. They embarked on the big Conte Verde vessel for the Orient. The missionary group included the renowned missionary Fr. Boccassino as head of the group, and some others heading for India, China and Japan. Among the missionaries who went to China, there was Fr. Paul Jansen who was a German and was Andrej’s voyage companion. As Fr. Jansen could speak very little Italian, he spoke German more at ease.

All the missionaries arrived in Hong Kong on October 3, feast of St. Therèse de Lisieux, a patron of the missions. They were received and embraced with paternal love by the Provincial Fr. Braga. Andrej’s heart was conquered by this embrace. From that moment, Fr. Braga was Andrej’ superior for the next 16 years. When they came to the formation house in Shau Ki Wan, they were warmly received by the confreres there, of whom Fr. Majcen particularly remembered Fr. Massimino who later would live together with him in Vietnam.

After a short stay in Hong Kong, Fr. Majcen also went to Macao where he visited the Mother House erected in 1906 by the Saint Bishop Versiglia, and when saying the Mass in its chapel, Fr. Majcen prayed to St. Versiglia to intercede for him that he could receive the grace of martyrdom, at least without bloodshed. This account will prove that the Saint has accepted Fr. Majcen’s prayer.

Back to Hong Kong, Fr. Andrej underwent the scrutiny for the “permission to hear confession” and started learning Chinese—the mandarin—under the guidance of Fr. Francis Wong. In the meanwhile he prepared himself for his missionary departure to Kunming, where he had to bring necessary materials for the setting up of shoemaking, carpentry and printing workshops.

The cleric Carlo Maria di Corostarzu once went to Don Bosco to ask for advice regarding his vocation, since he wished to engage himself in the missions. The Saint recommended him to enter the Seminary of the Missions étrangères de Paris (MEP). He was admitted there, and one year after his ordination, Fr. Carlo Maria was sent to Yunnan, China, where he became Apostolic Administrator. He was a fervent Cooperator who was very fond of Don Bosco and who wanted the Salesians to come and work in his diocese.

Already in 1910, he knew of the presence of the Salesians in Hong Kong and wrote to Fr. Olive and Versiglia expressing his intention. Fr. Versiglia replied that since the Salesians had just been in China for four years, they could not expand their work yet. In 1924, on the occasion of the first Synod of China, Mgr. De Corostarzu met Mgr. Versiglia in Shanghai, and reiterated his invitation, but even by this time, his wish was not granted. It was by another Apostolic Administrator, Mgr. Giorgio Maria de Jonghe of Ardois, who fulfilled the wish to have the Salesian presence in the city district of Yunnan (the name for Kunming at that time). Several years before this event, the latter had hada visit to Don Bosco School in Shiuchow and had had a very good impression. When coming to Kunming as an Apostolic Administrator, Mgr. Giorgio Maria was aware of his predecessor’s wish. He offered Fr. Braga a lovely piece of land with a house on it (once used as a kindergarten for Franco-Vietnamese children). Though the house was in bad condition, it could still be used at least for the beginning. He gave in addition a small printing machine and 20,000 francs from his purse. He promised all his spiritual support to the Salesians, but he also honestly told them that this was a very poor missionary country, and he was not able to promise any further material aid. Between the years 1934 and 1935, there was an exchange of correspondence between Kunming, Hong Kong and Turin: proposals were sent, negotiations were made, contracts and agreements were signed. In April 1935, the Provincial went to Kunming accompanied by Fr. Joseph Kerec (a Slovenian) as Rector, and two clerics Albino Fernandez (Spanish) and Antonio Perkumas (Lithuanian). Of course they talked among themselves in Italian while using French with the MEP Fathers in Kunming, and they had to start learning Chinese in the dialect of Yunnan for their contacts with local people.

At that time, the safest route to go from Hong Kong to Kunming was by passing through Vietnam. Thus, right after the feast of Mary Immaculate, the confreres to be sent to Kunming were led by Fr. Braga on a French train heading for Hải Phòng-Hà Nội. They were Fr. Majcen (Slovenian) and the lay brothers Charles Lee (Chinese) for printing, Louis Oravec (Slovak) for carpentry, and Stephan Meolic (Slovak) for shoemaking. In Hà Nội, Fr Majcen admired the devotion to Don Bosco, especially after his canonization, and a great sympathy towards the Salesians, fruits of Don Braga’s travel, and of his character and lovely conversations that attracted many people.

It was very pleasant to accompany Fr. Braga in his travel, because he knew how to explain everything about the places he had been to. The train had to roll on difficult railroads from below sea level up to 2,000 m above sea level leading to Kunming. The group arrived in Kunming in the afternoon of December 18 1935. A warm welcome was given to the newcomers by the confreres who had been there before and who had opened a small primary school there.

The Chinese Yunnan province is as large as France, bordering on Vietnam and Burma (now Myanmar). The province has mountains as high as 2,000 to 4,000 meters above sea level. Its capital district was Kunming, a very ancient city, once the capital of the Viceroy. At the time the missionary group came there, it was governed by a governor named Long Yun, from the Yang ethnic. Very sympathetic with the Salesians, he proposed to them to open a vocational school there.

The Yangtze River flows from roof of the world, Tibet, passes through Yunnan province to form a large arc at Chaotong Apostolic Vicariate that was entrusted to the Chinese ecclesiastics. It was here that between the years 1939 and 1952, Fr. Kerec of small stature was consecrated bishop and was appointed Apostolic Administrator. The two apostolic vicariates of Tali and Chaotong had been split up from Kunming Diocese just a few years before.

Kunming city still kept the appearances of ancient Chinese cities both in its buildings and surrounding walls. During his first years in Kunming, Fr. Majcen still saw bound-feet women of old such as seen by Don Bosco in his dream. The foot-binding custom would be abolished during the 1949 Revolution.

There was a Grand Seminary run by the Saint Sulpice Fathers, while the Sisters of St Paul of Chartres had the Wisdom School, the one of which our early school was a department. There were also the Carmelite Sisters and Sisters of other congregations. Outside the city was the Small Seminary of Pelotang, with an adjacent cemetery where the first heroic missionaries of Yunnan were buried. From this seminary came the first Yunnan Salesians Fr. Barnaba Li and Fr. Gregorio Py.

As the existing school building was degraded and was not likely to stand for long, the Provincial Braga and the Rector Kerec planned to build a new building in ferroconcrete, the first building of this kind in Kunming.

The first thing they had to do is to get a loan from the Indochina Bank and have a French architect who had to enroll builders from Hà Nội, because there were no competent local builders who could do concrete work. The construction began in January 1936.

Fr. Majcen was appointed confessor in Kunming, but the Rector did not like that appointment, so he asked Fr. Braga to change it and appointed him a prefect of studies.

Starting with only 20 pupils, the school now already had 6 elementary classes. It was organized in accordance with the school regulations. Highest in authority was a Council with a Chinese as President. However, this president was a good person who conceded all his powers to the Salesians. Under this Council was a Prefect who was responsible for all the school finance and had the right to admit and pay the teachers. The Prefect at that time was the rector Fr. Kerec. A Principal had the duty to run the study programme of the school. The relation between the school principal [and the Salesians] in the Salesian schools in China were very complicate, but Fr. Kerec knew how to use his experience and the guidance of Fr. Braga, so that he always proved himself to be the leader of the school.

A big obstacle for the missionaries was the study of language. Often they were like thrown into water to know how to swim. Fr. Majcen had Br. Fernandez Lee as Chinese teacher. He used a Spanish textbook to learn Chinese. A Chinese teacher taught him correct pronunciation. Very enthusiastic, he could already publicly babble some Chinese with the pupils after just a few months. Later he would admit: “I wasn’t sure how much they understood me, but they applauded me heartily!” After a while, he could already preach short sermons and also teach catechism to his pupils, using a small catechism book. But he was caught by a typhoid fever and had to go to hospital for three weeks. Out of hospital, he was invited by the Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Paris to come to their Small Seminary for convalescence. And after having fully recovered, he went back to his school. The rector being often absent, all the burden weighed heavily on his shoulders, but he had the cooperation of his confreres who always wanted to do everything well. As for the pupils, they first learned to keep cleanliness (they were not used to this!), then they learned to be quick, punctual, and they also learned music and sport. After just a few months, they could already march in the street with their brass band, and in their new beautiful uniforms, they got the admiration of the people. In addition to Chinese, Fr. Majcen also learned some French, though never formally in class, but only through talking with the good Fr. Michel from the Foreign Missions of Paris who came to the school almost every day.

Fr. Majcen got a valuable experience concerning communication: speaking with outsiders was not as easy as speaking with his pupils. One day when Fr. Kerec was out, some civil officials came and Fr. Majcen had to receive them. Not understanding what they said, he replied: “Fr. Kerec is out… We are also Chinese… We are building a vocational school.” Not knowing what to do and to break the ice, he led the guests into Fr. Kerec’s office and offered them a glass of wine, and after a series of bowing out, he showed them to the gate. He later admitted: “I never knew what they came for…”

We started the boarding school very soon. Not all the pupils were Christians, but they all attended Mass. Then with these pupils we could begin to form a group of Altar servers, have sacred music classes, a choir and other religious associations.

The construction proceeded very slowly: first because we had to dig very deep to find the firm soil for foundation. This land was in fact a filled-in old pool. Another obstacle was the prohibition from the police: they had not given permission to proceed yet. The procedure took a lot of time, but through the intervention of the Missionary Society’s representative who was a friend of the governor, the construction could proceed faster and after a short while some classes and shoemaking workshops could move to the new house.

It was a frightening day when Bishop De Jonghe informed that Mao’s army was approaching. The army was led by General Chu Te, a military officer from Kunming, and they were on the point of attacking the city. The governor ordered his men to fight and bomb by small aircrafts. All Westerners, except the missionaries, had fled to Hà Nội, and the Salesian confreres, with their rosaries in hand, were anxiously waiting for the coming events. But after a few days, everybody got news that the communist soldiers had gone away. Life went on normally as before.

In 1937, for the first time Fr. Majcen gave baptism to a boy named Chu Wai Sing after the boy promised he would not perform his habitual superstitious actions when his parents died. Unfortunately his father died shortly after, and true to his words, he fled to Chaotong where he began his studies and later became a priest. Fr. Chu Wai Sing died in 1978 when he was professor of Oriental philosophy at the Hong Kong [Holy Spirit] Seminary.

With the care of Fr. Kerec care and the invitation of Bishop Chen, Vicar Apostolic of Chaotong, the Sisters of Mary Immaculate came to Chaotong to run the hospital here. Fr. Kerec asked the Salesians in Hong Kong to receive the Sisters and help them go to Hà Nội. Then Fr. Kerec went there to receive them and accompany them to Kunming, and from Kunming they went on horseback and by cart to Chaotong. Fr. Kerec took this opportunity to give a spiritual retreat to the local clergy.

So as to alleviate the Kunming Salesians’ feeling of loneliness and isolation, Fr. Braga and Fr. Guarona occasionaly went to visit them, assess the situation and preach retreats. Fr. Majcen always considered these spiritual exercises as a missionary novitiate. From 1st to 10th October 1937, the General Prefect Fr. Berruti and Fr. Candela of the Superior Council made an extraordinary canonical visit. From Thailand they came to Hà Nội, Vietnam, and from Hà Nội they took the train to Kunming. They were very pleased with the work done there: the good constructions and running of the school, and the promotion and formation of vocations. They voiced their admiration at the Bollettino Salesiano, and this made some veteran French missionaries envious, because they did not usually show sympathy for the Salesians who adopted Don Bosco’s policy of not doing politics nor having extreme nationalism, and did not want to imitate the imperialist methods of the French.

That was on the threshold of World War II. Nevertheless in China, war had been raging for a long time, and among the people who flocked to Kunming from the cities occupied by the Japanese, there was also the archbishop Yupin of Nanking. In those time Fr. Kerec made use of some space in the old house and also had evening classes for students. Archbishop Yupin intended to continue his politico-religious newspaper and gave some money to buy a good printing machine from Hong Kong. The economer of St Louis School bought the machine and sent to Kunming. When the machine came, Fr. Avalle who had been sent by Fr. Braga as confessor remarked that the printing of a political newspaper, even with a religious character, was against our religious rules, and such an affair had been prohibited by Fr. Ricaldone in his canonical visit to Macao in 1927. It was really embarsassing to report this to Archbishop Yupin, and in fact he was somewhat offended. We refunded the money to the bishop, while the printing machine was used for our printing shop.

The Chinese government withdrew its troops to Chungking to prepare for a counter-attack with the help of the Americans. These had built a strategic route in Burma, from Mandalay to Kunming, and in the meantime they had built a big airport near Kunming and other small airports in the neighboring areas. As for the Japanese, they were not inactive. They frequently bombed the city. Around September 1938, they destroyed many buildings and there were heavy casualties. Every time they heard the alarm, the assistants hurriedly took the children to the suburbs. On the contrary, Fr. Majcen and some others found safer to remain in the concrete building.

chapter 4: mission during war time

1939-1945

Fr. Kerec was rector of the house but he was often absent, so Fr. Majcen, who was prefect and councilor, had to take his place. In 11 October 1938, the Delegate Apostolic Mgr. Zamin appointed Fr. Kerec as Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Chaotong. With this new office, Fr. Kerec could no longer take much care of the house, and so with the proposal of the confreres and the consent of the Superior, Fr. Majcen took up the care of the community. On October 15 1938, Fr. Kerec left forChaotong with a caravan of belongings. Full of emotions and afraid of his new responsibility, Fr. Majcen accompanied Fr. Kerec as far asHinleunteng. While they were bidding goodbye, Fr. Kerec encouraged Fr. Majcen with these words: “You surely will make mistakes, but you’ll know how to correct them!”

The journey was not peaceful for Fr. Kerec. Hardly had the caravan come to the Kun Shan mountainous region than he was robbed of all his money (HK$ 4,000), together with the watches he had bought for the priest in Chaotong, and suffered a cut in his belly. Fr. Kerec would later dramatize this cut; in fact, it was only a small wound, because on arrival in Chaotong, he could right away sit down before his typewriter to give a dramatic account of what had happened to him!

Chaotong was an Apostolic Vicariate entrusted to the Central Diocese of China. It covers 5,000 square kilometers, with a population of 2 million including 8,000 Catholics. The territory lies in north-west Yunnan; it was split from Kunming diocese to become an Apostolic Vicariate. Mgr. Chen had been appointed for this Vicariate, but he was not welcome because he came from another province. Shortly later he was opposed by some of the clergy and laity. As a reaction against their grave abuses, he imposed anathemas on them. One of them stirred up a rebellion to the point that poor Monsignor Chen felt anxious for his safety. That was why the Apostolic Delegate had commissioned Fr. Kerec to come there to inquire and soften the behavior of the priests and laity. Right after Fr. Kerec’s arrival in Chaotong, the Apostolic Vicar appointed him Administrator and immediately left for Kunming and then went to Rome.

Shortly later, Fr. Braga came to Kunming. His visits always were a cause for celebration for the confreres in this solitary Kunming region. The purpose of this visit was to examine the Kao Dong situation which had required Fr. Kerec going there, and to preview a change of personnel, because he intended to send the new theology students to Shanghai. During this visit, Fr. Braga inaugurated by a simple ceremony the new house for the shoemaker’s, carpenter’s and printing workshops. Next, Fr. Majcen had a high wall built for the protection of the whole plot and had to pull down part of the old house that was likely to crumble due to the bombing tremors.

On October 11 1938, the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Zamin, went to see Fr. Kerec and handed him a decree nominating him as Administrator of Chaotong Vicariate to replace Mgr. Chen who had resigned. In a party hold by the school teachers in honor of the Nuncio, Mgr. Zamin read the decree appointing Fr. Kerec as Administrator and in the name of Father Provincial, he also declared Fr. Majcen as acting rector with all the power and obligation of a house rector. Now that he was a Monsignor, Fr. Kerec immediately prepared a purple cloak and some cassocks with purple buttons for his small stature, as well as the coat of arm for his new title. After finishing the retreat for his confreres, the new Monsignor hurriedly went back to Chaotong.

Mgr. Kerec was really God’s blessing for Chaotong. Within a few years, with the rebellious spirit now vanished in Chaotong, Mgr. Kerec managed to build a Small Seminary, a house for the virgins, and the Vicariate office.He also restored the cathedral where he celebrated his inauguration Mass after receiving all the authority.

The world situation grew more and more disastrous. The Japanese first occupied Manchuria, then Peking, Tin Shan, Shanghai and Canton, and continued to bomb even Kunming. Fr. Majcen got enough news about the political situation both in Europe and the Orient thanks to a radio set he had bought from a French who left Kunming. Thus he was informed that Germany had occupied Poland, Austria, Czecoslovakia and Yugoslavia. After each victory of Hitler, the German soldiers in Kunming gathered in the park previously belonging to the French to feast until late at night, and sang out triumphant chants on the way home after they were drunk.

Fr. Braga went to Kunming and stayed there from 9 to 11 January 1940 to visit the confreres for the last time as he had foreseen. He entrusted them to Fr. Kerec whom he asked to take care of the Salesians in Kunming on his behalf, and made arrangements for the personnel. Before leaving, he earnestly recommended them to have a filial devotion to Our Lady and consecrate the house to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Shortly after the Provincial left, there was a visit of the new Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Larregain, the successor of Bishop De Jonghe. The Kunming house welcomed him warmheartedly, but the bishop showed some reserve with the Salesians because they were not French and in his eyes they were too… progressive!

In the month of Saint Joseph, Mgr. Kerec came and solemnly celebrate his Patron’s feast, surrounded by the Altar servers group that had been well trained by Bro. Meolic. In the meantime the choir under the direction of Father catechist Rizzato marvelously performed the music part.

The feast of the Immaculate Conception was solemnly celebrated in the cathedral, made remarkable with the choir and Altar servers group. In the house, the feast of Mary Help of Christians was highlighted by a musical performance and other ceremonies, to recall Fr. Braga’s recommendation: “The more difficult the time is, the more we have to honor Our Lady, because she can do miracles.”

Fr. Braga cut short his visit in Italy to come back to China with the instructions of the Superiors on their behavior during war time. He called Fr. Majcen to Macao for a talk. After getting a visa for Vietnam from the consulate of France, Fr. Majcen went to Macao with some money in his pocket to buy there some material for the shoemaking shop at home. After delegating his powers to Fr. Rizzato as his substitute, he took the train for Hải Phòng on 26 July. On arriving at the cathedral, he wanted to see the Superior, but the Vietnamese guard could not understand any of the languages he spoke—Latin, French and Chinese. He then had to write down Chinese characters to express his request, and the man understood and went to inform the Superior. Fr. Fernandez went out and warmly welcome him and showed him a room for rest and installation of his belongings. The prefect also mentioned the presence here of a French Salesian priest named Fr. Dupont. Thus the two Salesians had opportunity to talk with one another for the whole evening and the next day. Fr. Dupont had been a parish priest in Tokyo. There he was mobilized and work as an interpreter for the French officers whenever they spoke with their Japanese counterparts. He was very fervent, devoting all his leisure time to his priestly ministry and wished to be soon demobilized in order to wholly serve the souls. He asked Fr. Majcen to send his words to Fr. Braga who was then in Hà Nội, to ask whether the Provincial could admit him. At this time, both the government and the Bishop of Hà Nộiproposed to the Salesians to take over an orphanage for the Eurasian children. A few days later, Fr. Majcen left for Hong Kong and arrived there by sea after three days. In Hong Kong, he saw that the Salesians were very few and busy, because the confreres of the Studentate and others had been expelled due to their Italian or German nationalities. They had gone to Shanghai. Thus Fr. Majcen went to Macao but Fr. Braga was not there. The vice provincial Fr. Guarona advised him to go to Shanghai to see Fr. Braga. A few days later, Fr. Majcen and Fr. Arduino, the newly appointed rector of Don Bosco school in Shanghai, embarked on a small boat and after a very hard journey by sea, they arrived in Shanghai and got a warm welcome in Namtau. Fr. Majcen had an important talk with Fr. Braga on the war, the current situation and the personnel, without forgetting to convey Fr. Dupont’s wish to the Provincial. Fr. Braga appointed him a leader for an indefinite time, because he could not know when he could be able to see him again. Afterwards, Fr. Majcen stayed in Shanghai, visited our works there, bought some books and then left for Macao. Fr. Guarona let him rest for about ten days in a small Salesian farm entrusted to the care of Fr. Louis Montini, a nephew of the future Pope Paul VI. Hardly had he recovered thanks to the rest and good food, than he was called back to Macao by Fr. Guarona to head for Kunming before the situation became worse. He had brought with him shoe leather and other material for the workshop and intended to go to Hong Kong when he was ordered to go to Hải Phòng. On the way, he got news that the Pétain government had conceded some strategic sites in Indochina to the Japanese. At the Hải Phòng episcopal office, he met Fr. Dupont and conveyed him the advice of Fr. Braga: “Take courage and be patient, never give up!” But the Provincial could not send him any staff for the moment. The next day Fr. Majcen went to Hà Nội, but he was informed that the railway had been cut: it had been blown up at the last tunnel near the borders by the Chinese government for fear that the Japanese could use it to invade China. Fr. Majcen went to Mr. Pasqualini (an Italian engineer who later became an Italian consul in Hà Nội) who phoned the airport and found a seat on a small French aircraft for Fr. Majcen to fly to Kunming. There were on this flight only two passengers beside the pilot, and in the afternoon of 17 July, Fr. Majcen arrived in Kunming. Fr. Rizzato with his brass band went to welcome him back in a cheerful atmosphere, but this soon vanished in the worries for a dark future. Right away they got into the chapel to pray, such as Fr. Braga had recommended them in time of distress.

Five days later, the Vichy government ordered to stop the Japanese expansion into other areas. But the order was delayed, and the Japanese quickly occupied some more areas, and unexpectedly arrested all the French officers and took over their powers. On September 25, the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis was declared, resulting in the isolation of the Kunming confreres from their Superiors in Turin and from other confreres of the China Province.

During the past years, Fr. Majcen received a great help from the following people:

The cleric Fernandez, a Spanish. He spoke Chinese fluently and was very fond of music. With music, he brought to the house its Salesian cheerfulness. Later, he studied theology in Shanghai, and after ordination, Fr. Fernandez came back to Kunming and lived here till 1951.

The cleric Perkumas, a Lithuanian. In Kunming, he was a mature assistant, sensitive and knowledgeable, and easily kept order and discipline among his pupils.

The cleric Henry Changeat, a French. Already when the Salesians came to Kunming, the MEP Fathers had asked Fr. Braga to send a French confrere and insisted on this when Fr. Braga and Fr. Berruti came to Kunming. Those Fathers, especially the elderly ones, held that religion could not be introduced into the Chinese people unless it passed through the French culture!!! Once he saw it feasible, Fr. Braga sent to Kunming the cleric Changeat who was French but was born and educated in London. In Kunming, Changeat was a good assistant, delicate and devout. He helped Fr. Majcen a great deal in learning French. He stayed in Kunming until the number of pupils went down because of bombardment. Fr. Braga called him back and sent him to study theology in Shanghai.

Bro. Charles Lee worked in Kunming in the years 1936-37. He was specialized in printing, had a good communication with the pupils thanks to his knowledge of Cantonese, and in his communication with his Salesian confreres, he used Italian which he had learned at the Rebaudengo Institute.

Bro. Joseph Shi came to replace Bro. Charles Lee in the printing department.

The cleric Augustine Valete, a French. He was sent to Kunming to replace the cleric Changeat. Bro. Valete was not successful with his studies in Shanghai, so Fr. Braga sent him to Kunming as an assistant. He was zealous and eagerly wanted to teach catechism to the children in the house. He prepared his lesson very well, but he spoke Chinese with a French accent so that nobody understood him. Not wanting to become a lay brother, he went to Burma to find way to get back to France. He stayed for a few months in a Salesian house in Mandalay. In that difficult period of the Japanese occupation, there was a bubonic plaguewhich he contracted and which caused his death.

The cleric Simon Liang lived in Kunming in the years 1937-38. He also had to cut short his studies at the studentate and became a lay brother. However, because he used to wear the long black Chinese gown that looked like a cassock, he appeared before the public as a real cleric. He was a wonderful assistant, and not wanting to give up his studies, he could manage to resume them through the help of Fr. Avalle. Fr. Braga called him to Shanghai together with the cleric Changeat and he was re-admitted in the studentate and was ordained through so much hardship. Fr. Liang worked in Macao and Linchow. After innumerable tribulations suffered here, he died a martyr by his royalty to the Pope, in the prisons of Linchow in 1956.

In 1937, it was the tailor Yip who set up a sewing workshop on good base.

Fr. Joseph Avalle came to Kunming as a confessor and a great helper of Fr. Majcen. He had been working in Kunming for two years until his poor health forced him to go. He left a loveable memory there.

In 1939 Fr. John Rizzato came to Kunming as a catechist. Young and zealous, he initiated in Kunming a new approach to teaching catechism, designed a presentation of catechism and applied a form of prayer using spoken words instead of the ancient unintelligible prayers. All this made a great impact but it did not please the French missionaries who were still too attached to the old methods. After realizing that he was no longer needed in Kunming, he left the school in December and made a dangerous journey by car across several provinces and eventually came in the diocese of Shiuchow where Fr. Braga sent him to work.

The lay Brother Lodovico Rojak came to Kunming on December 27 1939. He was head teacher of the carpenter’s shop and an excellent sculptor.

In September 1940, Fr. Joseph Seng came as a prefect of studies, together with the cleric Louis Rubini, a very good assistant. Shortly after came the lay Brother Marongiu to help Father economer.

During the war, Monsignor Kerec strictly obeyed Fr. Braga’s recommendation to be his representative. He went to Kunming to make the “canonical visits”, preach retreats and arrange for the smooth running of the confreres, even of the temporary Rector. He said he can shout, animate, encourage and create enthusiasm. Monsignor Kerec was always loved by the missionaries and the French people who lived in Kunming. Everybody well knew that when he encouraged others, it was as if he was emboldening himself, who by temperament was not courageous at all!

Since 1940, even in Kunming, the preparation for war increased day after day, while the Japanese air raids caused more and more damages and casualties. The bombings went on until 1944, resulting in the reduction of the number of students number because people kept flocking into the school for refuge and eventually the school had to be closed. There were only five boarding student who remained with us, as they had nowhere to go. As we said earlier, some confreres had been sent somewhere else by the Superiors. The rest, having no longer the income from the students’ fees, had to make the school ground a vegetable garden to get some money; they were short of salt and rice, and each only had one bowl of rice twice a day. To earn a living, our confreres decided—without asking for the government’s permission—to reopen the classes every evening, when the bombing had stopped. Then there was an order that all German citizen should leave China and all Italians had to be concentrated. Even the cleric Rubini had no choice but to obey, but remembering Fr. Michel’s advice, we all kept silence. The police did not know the names of the foreigners in Kunming and Bro. Rubini was not harassed but could still go on with his task in the school, and the number of students gradually increased.

Bishop Larregainhad in mind that the religious members must absolutely serve the bishopas did the good Sisters of St Paul and the Saint-Sulpice members at the Grand Seminary. Fr. Majcen tried to please him as far as possible, and the Bishop wanted him to say Masses to the Carmelite Sisters at 5.00 every morning, as well as to the Sisters of Mary where there was an old Sister who, wearing her watch, always showed her annoyance every time he came even a minute late. She did not know that he had to go in the rain and the wind, and often had to jump over water holes on the way.

Still, the Bishop wanted him to come as a confessor to these sisters, and also to preach retreats at the Seminary, all of which cost him dearly. He moreover insisted that in our Salesian houses, we should use the ancient prayers formulae, and a MEP missionary even sent in a boarding student to spy on and provoke disorder in the house. The real reason for all this foolish thing was never told but it was bare truth: the Bishop belonged to the ‘French’ Catholic Church that advocated the expansion of the French culture (and not only culture) in China. Our Salesians did not want to yield. Once, a troublemaking boy was dismissed, and it happened that he had been sent to us by a MEP Father. Fr. Majcen was not aware that in the contract signed between Fr. Braga and Mgr. De Jonghe, there was a clause saying that the Salesians should receive up to 40 pupils from the MEP Fathers. Fr. Braga was too generous in this, but Fr. Majcen, on the other hand, could not bear such troublemakers in the house, while the Salesians themselves could not have two frugal meals a day! The confreres were right when they said we are exempt religious, who are not obliged to obey the Bishop in his extreme demands and beyond his jurisdiction. And poor Fr. Majcen had to pilot the community in such a condition, when the nerves of everybody were so tense because of the bombings outside and the privations in the house.

The number of students went up to 150, thanks to the wisdom of the Salesians who showed that they did not belong to the French Church, that they loved China and the Chinese. They did not have any other politics except that of Our Father.

During the first days of August, there was an examination in the school under the government’s supervision. The students got very good results, resulting in the increase of the school’s prestige. More students enrolled during summer, thus increasing the amount of school fees by which we could pay the teachers and the confreres and could improve their living standard.

Moreover, the bombardments were very frequent but none touched the school. They occasionally fell near it and several glass panes were broken. Doors and windows were swept away to give free access to rain and wind.

The Americans set up radarscopes to discover the enemies’ bombers and accordingly fired back by series of cannons called “flying tigers”. There were even air battles that made the aircrafts of both sides fall down like torches!

The war brought with it famine too. Many people died of hunger. Christian charity came to help: Bishop Romaniello of Qylin diocese and Bishop Pasang of Keungman had to flee before the Japanese invasion. In Kunming, the Salesians all at once prepared the meals for poor people who were at the point of starvation. Mgr. Romaniello had the idea of making large pots of porridge out of American flour to save many people with minimum wastage.

Thanks to the optimal location of Kunming, Fr. Majcen could easily receive the radio waves of Europe, thus he could hear the fanatic voice of Hitler, noisily declarations of Mussolini and discourses of Churchill promoting the resistance. At night he even could listen to the radio programs in Slovenian from a secret radio station located near Trieste giving news on the activities of Tito and Pertini’s guerrillas.

A Jewish lady, the German ambassador’s wife, went to see Fr. Majcen. She saw an illustrated Sacred History, The Old Testament, and she was very excited. She had a son who had a twisted foot but Bro. Meolic had made for him a shoe that fitted it very well. The book and the shoe pleased her enormously, and since then she became a great promoter of our shoe’s shop, helping it to increase its customers both in number and quality.

Mgr. Kerec went to Kunming to preach a retreat. Knowing that Bro. Meolic was going to Tali and Lashiofino, Mandalay, to buy materials for his shoe’s shop, he wanted to accompany him too. In Mandalay, Mgr. Kerec was warmly welcome by the confreres, believing that by this visit, the Monsignor fulfilled Don Bosco’s dream about the meeting between the Salesians who came from the North with those in the South. Actually that dream was about the meeting of the Tartarians with the Chinese, but in Mgr. Kerec’s fancy, it became an historic event.

In March 1942, the Japanese invaded Burma and cut off the strategic route to Burma. Thus the Americans had to make another route called the Stilvelt road crossing Assam to transport their military supplies to China. To avoid the Japanese invasion, many Chinese had to leave Burma and went to Kunming. Unfortunately enough, they brought along the plague that affected the whole city. Of those affected by the disease, was one of our boys who lived near our school who, on his way home for a treatement, died after having said the short invocations Fr. Majcen had taught him.

Bishop Larregain caught a typhoid and was immediately taken to hospital where he died on April 21 1942. Fr. Majcen arrived at his deathbed before his death and asked him to bless our school. Fr. Michel became the diocese’s Administrator until 1944, and during this time he regularly came to visit us with so much love.

Fourteen days after the death of Bishop Larregain, the MEP Vicar General, Fr. Savin, suddenly died on April 25.After they had attended the funeral mass for the Bishop in Chaotong, Fr. Majcen and Mgr. Kerec also came to pay homage to the Vicar General’s body. Mgr. Kerec touched the forehead of Fr. Savin mumbling: “Poor Fr. Savin!” But Fr. Majcen warned him: “Don’t touch his body! He has died of the plague: it’s contagious!” Frightful, Mgr. Kerec on his way home asked Fr. Majcen how to prevent the contamination. He told him that liquors were very effective against disease. So Mgr. Kerec had someone buy him a liter of alcohol and he drank a lot of it. One hour later, Mgr. Kerec called Fr. Majcen and said: “I have a heavy stomachache! The disease has got into my stomach! I’ll surely die. Please say good-bye to my Superiors and relatives and tell them I’m very sorry!”

And he immediately went to Fr. Michel to make a general confession and then felt a little better. But he wanted Fr. Majcen to call Sister Paola of the Maryknoll, a nurse of the American Red Cross Hospital,to take him to hospital. Paola called an ambulance but Mgr. Kerec without being aware that he was sick, put on his Monsignor’s habit and walked himself to the hospital; he even went up the hospital’s steps! Two weeks later he went home, healthier and fatter thanks to the hospital, and he celebrated a thanksgiving Mass.