Consulta mission 2010-44

Servant of God

ANDREJ MAJCEN (1904-1999)

Short biography

The life of Salesian missionary Fr Andrej Majcen can be divided into three periods, broadly speaking, each featuring God's wonderful guidance, perhaps humanly difficult to understand, but which proved to be the right path. Fr Majcen followed them and at the end gave thanks to God: “I am grateful to the God who called me and gave me the courage to follow the call. Life's adventure, the one God sends us to, is very meaningful!”, he confessed often.

FIRST PERIOD 1904-1935 - Preparation for the missionary vocation

Born on 30 September 1904 in Maribor (Slovenia), he received his good Christian family upbringing: his father, Andrej, was a practical person always ready to help people in difficulty. In Andrew's heart the rule was already implanted: “Be kind to everyone and you will never regret it!”. His mother, Marija Šlik, a very devout woman, advised Andrew to consider a calling in the Church, but his father's view, who wanted him to go into teaching, thinking this the best way to help people, prevailed. His mother, fearing that he might be lost, recommended that: “You must never forget Mary most holy!” and gave him for spiritual reading the Treatise on the Divine Love by St Francis of Sales. At the Teachers' College in Maribor he continued to do well, and made a daily visit to the Marian Shrine as also to the baptismal font where he had become a child of God. He developed a hard-working temperament and decided to carry out everything he could possibly do without worrying too much about problems.

His studies over, he joined a Salesian school at Radna to begin his teaching, but the Salesians soon involved him in a religious vocation with the sons of Don Bosco. He was fascinated by Don Bosco's life and in 1924 decided to enter the Salesian novitiate. He experienced a number of humiliations, at times suspicion, even calumny, and his time in the novitiate was extended, but he persevered, modelling his character on Don Bosco's spirit.

The ten years at Ljubljana – Rakovnik were a time of preparation for his missionary vocation. Due to his poor knowledge of Latin, some wanted him to be dismissed, and then due to the effort he had to put in and a lack of good nourishing food, his health was seriously undermined. News of the martyrdom of Bishop Louis Versiglia and Fr Caliistus Caravario (China - 1930) reawakened a desire for the missions in his heart. His encounter with missionary Fr Jožef Kerec (1932) brought him to a decisions to leave for the missions to China. In 1933 he was ordained priest and on 15 August 1935 in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Rakovnik, he received his mission cross, and made a covenant of life with Mary Help of Christians, so to speak. The Lord has projects in mind for those he loves and well knows which ones he wants to choose to carry them out.

SECOND PERIOD - Missionary in China and Vietnam

He began his adventure with the experience of the preventive system in Kunming, with the great missionary Fr Jožef Kerec. Fr Majcen's decision was decisive and right: “I will proclaim the Gospel to the Chinese in Chinese, because I will be Chinese with the Chinese”. He grew to love them as brothers and sisters and soon learned the language. He was not dismayed by the resentment of some other missionaries and nurtured a preferential love for poor youngsters and poor people. Everyone found a sincere father and friend in him.

He was humble, open to all, and ready for sacrifice and work. Already then it was said of him: “Be humble and kind like Fr Majcen and you too could be a saint!”. Even communist authorities in the Mao period saw a man working for the good of the Chinese and while other missionaries were expelled or imprisoned he ended up teaching Russian for a year in a state school. But after this he too was expelled the first time, suffered his first exile, but was not beaten. He licked his wounds and headed for a new mission.

In Hanoi, later, he set up an orphanage with 5 dollars in his pocket. There were 550 orphans at the time, but they found a caring father in him. After the fall of North Vietnam, he went south with the orphans to save their lives.

This became the golden time of mission for him. Starting with nothing, after twenty years in Vietnam a huge Salesian tree has grown up and the Salesian presence in Vietnam has grown to be strong and generous This is why he is known as “The Don Bosco of Vietnam”. As Rector, Vice provincial, first Director of novices, but specially as the one who gave rise to and formed religious vocations, he became the one who transplanted Don Bosco's charism in the Vietnamese soul following his principles: “Vietnamese with the Vietnamese, as the Vietnamese would act". He was the first, with the help of some others, to translate the Constitutions into Vietnamese. He welcomed anyone into the Salesian communities, without excluding people, but always with preference for those most in need. This certainly meant he was deeply appreciated and accepted.

When the communists came to power, he declined the offer from an American General to be whisked to safety along with the other Salesians. He said: “The Vietnamese should stay with the Vietnamese and I'm staying with them!”. Then he sent the confreres away to the countryside, in small groups, and thus kept them safe. Even the new 'masters' recognised his work for the good of the people. Even as a foreigner he was g iven the right to vote in the peoples' assembly. When he eventually left they said: “You have educated Vietnamese Salesians well, and now they continue your work…”. He was expelled, but 'softly', and was given due recognition for his contribution. Physically exhausted, but spiritually mature, he went to Taiwan where he was acknowledged as a spiritual director and great friend of the young. Under doctor's orders (Dr. Janez Janež) he was to return to his own country to regain his physical health. It was a departure with no return.

THIRD PERIOD 1979-1999 – A missionary in his own country

It seems that this period too was part of the divine plan. In his own country, given that Yugoslavia was a socialist regime with connections with Vietnam, Fr Macjen became the sole link with Salesians in Vietnam. In Ljubljana he formed a wide circle of people who gathered materials and financial aid which Fr Majcen then sent to Vietnam, ensuring it arrived where it was needed. Over this twenty year period there are so many letters written him by Vietnamese Salesians and others from Vietnam, China, from the Superiors, from Cooperators… and we read where he was called Fr Andrej “The Don Bosco of Vietnam”, “Moses”, “Dad", “Father of light”…, all expressions of the deep admiration and affection for this wonderful man of God.

Following his Golden Jubilee of Priesthood (1983) it was clear to him that he would not return to Vietnam, and he directed all his efforts to being holy. We can read of this daily struggle and spiritual commitment in his spiritual diaries, mediations and notes. There are some 6,500 pages of manuscript: he recorded on a daily basis his plans and spiritual development. He drew attention to four great moments in his life: the day of his baptism when he became a child of God; the day he professed his religious vows as a Salesian; the day of his priestly ordination, when he became Christ's priest, and the day he received the mission cross, when he became the messenger and apostle of Christ.

Along with missionary animation amongst Salesians he dedicated much of his time to spiritual direction and the ministry of Reconciliation. He was a much sought out guide, including for pirests and religious.

He had often said during his life that he would like to live to 95. He lived out his final days spending himself like a candle. He died when he turned 95, on the 30the September 1999! He died on the day he celebrated his 95th birthday: born 1904, he celebrated his heavenly birth that day 95 years later!