Thanjavur, India 1906

By Fr. Lanfranco Fedrigotti, SDB

Hong Kong, February 12, 2016 - One hundred and ten years ago the first Salesian missionaries arrived to Macau, the first community in the East Asia - Oceania region. Already one month before that date the first SDB missionaries reached Thanjavur in South India (Tamil Nadu). Hence the Salesians reached to South and East Asia already 110 years ago.

One hundred and ten years ago, on Tuesday, 13 February, 1906 the first six Salesians of Don Bosco (3 Salesian priests and 3 Salesian Brothers) set foot on Chinese soil, landing in Hong Kong and then proceeding the very same day to Macau, where they arrived in the evening. They were welcomed with umbrellas at the pier by the Macau Jesuits, since it was a rainy day. The Jesuits brought them to see the Bishop who had invited them to come to Macau and who was waiting for them in the Bishop’s House. The Salesians were led by the then 33-year old Fr. Luigi Versiglia, later Bishop, Martyr, and Saint.

This year, on Saturday, 23 January 2016 (the day chosen for the installation of her new bishop Msgr. Stephen Lee Bun Sang), the Macau Diocese celebrated its 440th Anniversary of Foundation (23 Jan 1576 – 23 Jan 2016). Don Bosco has been with the Macau Catholic Church for 1/4 of her history!

The six Salesians had been sent out by the first Successor of Don Bosco the Rector Major Blessed Michael Rua and the Bishop of Turin Cardinal Agostino Richelmy on 23 November 1905, together with the Salesians that would go to India. The missionaries for India left from Genova on 17 December 1905, arriving in Bombay on 6 January and in Tanjore on 14 January 1906, while the missionaries for China left from Genova on 17 January 1906, arriving in Hong Kong and Macau on 13 February.

Happy 110th Birthday to the two Salesian Regions - South Asia and EAO!

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Versiglia, Macau-Shiu Chow