austraLasia #3113
An oath of faith and holiness
HONG KONG: 11 August
2012 -- The confreres of the China Province, coming
from Hong
Kong, Macau and Taiwan, gathered in the chapel of Salesian
House of
Studies to show their support and to pray before the Eucharist
for
their outgoing Provincial, Fr Simon Lam and their new
Provincial, F.
Lanfranco Fedrigotti. The surname Fedrigotti is certainly not
unfamiliar to Salesians worldwide. Fr Fei (the Chinese surname
of Fr.
Fedrigotti) is the 14th Provincial of the China Province. He
arrived in
China 46 years ago. He indeed qualifies being called Chinese.
It was emphasized in the addresses given both by Fr Lam and Fr
Fei that
we Salesians are called to holiness. “With the two pillars of
the
Eucharist and Mary Help of Christian, confreres, joining hands
with lay
collaborators and the young, grow together towards holiness.”
Fr Fei
would like to continue the pathway of holiness that has been
laid down
by Fr Lam. Like Fr Lam, Fr. Fei encouraged every confrere to
be a true
believer in the Eucharist and Mary Help of Christians. Fr Fei
quoted
the example of St. Clare. When her monastery was under the
thread of
being invaded by the Saracens, Jesus promised her in the
Eucharist, “Ego vos semper
custodian (I will
always protect you).” Together with the daily practice of
short
prayers, we might be united with God and that would urge us to
be with
the young in the mission.
In humorous tone, Fr Fei shared that he accepted the
provincialship
with faith, and what’s more, the confreres had to accept him
as the
Provincial with even greater faith. “I have faith. Help my
lack of
faith!” (Mark: 9:24) Fr Fei, inviting everybody to do
similarly, asked
the intercession of Fr Charles Braga who had been the
Provincial of
China Province for 22 years. He hoped to imitate Fr Braga’s
fatherly
love. It was an interesting co-incidence that Fr Braga ended
his term
as Provincial at the age of 63; whilst, for Fr Fei, he has
just began
to be Provincial at that age.