austraLasia #3491
Opening Ceremony & Jubilee Celebrations (CIN)
Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco
HONG KONG: August 16, 2014 - China Province officially
opened the celebration of the Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth and
announced the coming 2015 events on 16 August 2014, we also celebrated
the jubilee of several SDB’s, FMA’s and SAL’s. Moreover, we took this
opportunity to open the renovated Discovery Centre in Hong Kong.
The Discovery Centre tells us about Don Bosco who is a dreamer,
inspirer, promoter, educator, founder, communicator and saint. He
started his journey of holiness and brought us many saints. He wants us
to follow his path through knowing more about his life, mission and
spirituality. And this is the aim of setting up the Discovery Centre.
The opening ceremony started with a video review on the events of DB200
already taken place. What followed were the sharing of Fr. Peter Ng and
2 young people, showing the fruit of Don Bosco’s charisma in youth and
in the church. Fr. Peter said that although Don Bosco lost his father
when he was 2 years old, he became the father of countless youth, and
now all over the world through his successors and Salesian confreres.
He learned his fatherly love from the Sacred Heart of Jesus which is
the core of his spirituality and education. His love also showed a kind
of motherly love which he learned his mother. This fatherly and
motherly love was perceived and well accepted by the kids under his
care.
Don Bosco’s charisma was further expressed by the publication of books.
Fr. Lenti’s new books were presented to all groups of the Salesian
Family during a ceremony to symbolize the continuation of Don Bosco’s
charisma. Then, the launching ceremony for DB200 was held, to represent
our one heart and one mind in the celebrations of 2015.
During the mass, a newly ordained priest from the Macau Diocese, Fr.
Cyril Jerome Law shared, “I lost my father when I was young. Then, I
came to know Don Bosco in my primary school. After entering into the
seminary, I started to think that I could be a father of others like
Don Bosco even though I had lost my own father.” He encouraged all of
us to imitate Don Bosco’s love for God – the creator and to spread this
love all over the world.
This important day of China Province ended with the dinner of jubilee
celebration. All the performances during dinner showed gratitude to Don
Bosco and his congregation. The Salesian youth showed their
appreciation to the young Salesians who accompanied them throughout the
past youth events. Several Mongolian youth were present in the dinner,
they showed their gratitude to those who sponsored them for the
pilgrimage which took them to the places related to Don Bosco. The
young Salesians then sang a song in return. The dinner ended in a
joyful family atmosphere.