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China – Don Bosco at Macao

(ANS – Macau) – Since the establishment of Bosco Youth Service Network, 22 years ago, in 1993, the BYS has supported the Salesian Mother House – first school in the EAO ‘Instituto Salesiano’ (first rector and principal since 1906 St. Louis Versiglia). BYS cares for three main sectors – Oratory – school counselling and religious services.

by Jacqueline Leung,

assistant executive director

Thanks to 40 active volunteers from Universities or secondary schools, they run a Youth Center on the school campus every Sunday, open to all teenagers. Since September 2012 the service extended from Sunday to 7/7 days a week, offering a ‘Diverse After-School Development Project’ sponsored by the Macau Education and Youth Affairs Bureau. Thus the BYS provides after-school care and assistance to young people (1000 youth per month). This service will be extended also to the St. Rosa College and Yeut Wah College (SDB) from the school year 2015-2016.

Since 2000, BYS has been assigning school counsellors to four Salesian Schools in Macau (two SDB and two FMA schools), collaborating closely with the schools to provide professional services. Later on this service was extended to another five non-Salesian schools. At present there are 24 counsellors working under the umbrella of BYS in seven Macau schools.

From its inception, BYS has also been offering regular religious activities to its staff and teenagers, including Passover Meal, spiritual learning, retreats, and participation in the procession in honour of Our Lady Help of Christians. It also provides assistance at the Sunday Mass Choir of Instituto Salesiano. BYS has also been entrusted with conducting multi-media religious services – an online programme called ‘Voice of Mary’ which will share religious information.

Looking forward, the BYS is supported by a Salesian as spiritual director (at present Fr. Joseph CHOW Pak-fai, SDB - principal of Instituto Salesiano) in order to guarantee the Salesian spirit and practice of the Preventive System and Love of Christ in all services. Regular staff training in the Salesian spirit and faith formation and guidance for the counsellors is another future goal. Every year the BYS send an annual report to the SDB provincial of China.

BYS was started by a group of enthusiastic Don Bosco students and past pupils in Macau formed and accompanied by the Salesians. The whole organization has a board of trustees, a board of directors, a board of monitors and a large advisory group – all of them working on a voluntary basis. Only the Executive Officer Mr. Vincent YP Weng Keong and his three member core group are working full time and paid by the BYS Network.

Published 16/04/2015